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 .
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)(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) 1-7 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chen (US Publication 2023/0262532 A1).
In regards to claims 1 and 18, Chen (US Publication 2023/0262532 A1) teaches, a method for wireless communications, comprising: receiving, by a first network node, a request message from a second network node (see figure 12, paragraph 60; the gNB1 transmits the 5MBS SC request with the S-5MBSN configuration information to the gNB2; the gNB2 is the first node and the gNB1 is the first network node) comprising information for establishing a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session (see paragraph 60; The exchanged S-5MBSN configuration information may include (but not limit to) S-5MBSN identifier (e.g., the identifier associated with SAI), 5MBS identifier (e.g., MBS Session ID, TMGI, etc.), G-RNTI, source transmitted frequency and period, started 5MBS sequence number, UE context information, UE supported/interest frequency, UE's mobility restriction, CAG ID, etc.), establishing a buffer associated with the MBS session by the first network node based on a requirement of the buffer (see paragraph 60; if the gNB2 accepts to join the S-5MBSN, it would start to buffer the 5MBS content for achieving 5MBS QoS (e.g., reliability) requirement and service continuity), and transmitting, by the first network node, a response message to the second network node in response to the request message, wherein the response message comprises information about an established buffer (see paragraph 60; Then the gNB2 responds the 5MBS SC response with the related accepted 5MBS SC configuration information (e.g., supported transmitted frequency and period)).
In regards to claim 2, Chen teaches, wherein the request message includes the requirement of the buffer associated with the MBS session (see paragraph 60, the request includes UE context information and the buffering the 5MBS content is done to achieve 5MBS QoS (e.g., reliability) requirement and service continuity).
In regards to claim 3, Chen teaches, wherein the request message comprises at least an identifier of the MBS session or a priority of the MBS session (see paragraph 60; The exchanged S-5MBSN configuration information may include (but not limit to) S-5MBSN identifier (e.g., the identifier associated with SAI), 5MBS identifier (e.g., MBS Session ID)).
In regards to claim 4, Chen teaches, wherein the requirement for the buffer indicates at least one of: (1) a size limitation of the buffer, (2) a number of MBS data packets storable in the buffer, (3) a periodicity associated with storing MBS data packets (see paragraph 60; source transmitted frequency and period).
In regards to claim 5, Chen teaches, wherein the information about the established buffer includes an acknowledgement indicating an establishment of the buffer (see paragraph 60; The gNB2 may start a 5MBS SC timer after the reception of 5MBS SC request from gNB1 and stop the transmission of 5MBS content when the timer is expired; The gNB1 transmits the 5MBS SC request with SC bit and the transmitted started sequence number to the gNB2. The gNB2 may buffer at least the start of started sequence number of 5MBS content and start to broadcast the 5MBS content for the group of UEs. The gNB2 may start a 5MBS SC timer after the reception of 5MBS SC request from gNB1 and stop the transmission of 5MBS content when the timer expiry).
In regards to claim 6, Chen teaches wherein the information about the established buffer includes one or more parameters of the established buffer (see paragraph 60; The gNB2 may start a 5MBS SC timer after the reception of 5MBS SC request from gNB1 and stop the transmission of 5MBS content when the timer is expired).
In regards to claim 7, Chen teaches, wherein the first network node is an access node, and wherein the second network node is a node in a core network (see figure 12, the GNB2 and the 5GCN).
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, 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.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen as stated above further in view of Xiong (US Publication 2023/0089834 A1).
In regards to claim 8, Chen teaches all the limitations of the parent claim 1 as sated above.
Chen however fails to teach, wherein the first network node comprises a centralized unit (CU) user plane (CP) function, and wherein the second network node comprises a CU control plane (UP) function.
Xiong (US Publication 2023/0089834 A1) however teaches, the first network node comprises a centralized unit (CU) user plane (CP) function (see the UPF(s) in figure 4), and wherein the second network node comprises a CU control plane (UP) function (see the SMF(s) in figure 4).
Chen and Xiong are both related to MBS session management.
Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present application to implement the session request-response as shown by Xiong into the teachings of Chen. The motivation to do so would be to enable efficient, dynamic resource allocation and optimized routing for shared traffic and thus improving network efficiency and quality of service.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-17 and19-20 are allowed.
In regards to the claims, the cited prior art fails to teach, storing data related to a MBS session in the first access node buffer and storing data from the core network related to the MBS session in the second access node buffer as claimed.
Prior art Xu et al. (US Publication 2023/0012998 A1) teaches, a source gNB forwarding buffered uplink data to the target gNB (see paragraph 146 and figure 2). However, the buffering at both access nodes is not shown.
Prior art Eklof et al. (US Publication 2022/0078683 A1) teaches with respect to figure 1a, source gNG buffering and delivering the buffered and in transit data to the target gNB; the target gNB buffers user data from the source node (see paragraph 8). However buffering data from the core network is not taught.
Prior art Tsai et al. (US Publication 2021/0410037 A1) teaches in figure 4, In step S410, the source gNB forwards the buffered UP data and new UP data received from the core network to the target gNB; In step S411, the target gNB buffers the UP data from the source gNB; In step S413, the target gNB sends the buffered DL UP data and new DL UP data to the UE, and receives UL UP data from the UE (see paragraphs 75, 76 and 79).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAY P PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-3086. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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