Detailed Action
Claims 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 13-16, 18, 21, 23, 24 are pending in this application. Claims 2, 9, 12, 17, 19, 20, 22 were cancelled. Claim 24 was newly added. This is a response to the Amendments/Remarks filed on 10/14/25. This is a Final Rejection..
Claim Objections
Claim 18, objected to because of the following informalities:
As per claim 18, recites obtaining, during a during a Quality of Service (QoS) flow establishment, a stream requirement, one of the “during a” should be deleted.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 3,13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 3 depends on a cancelled claim.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 3,13 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 1,11 recites the TSN capability is obtained during the PDU session establishment, while claim 3 recites the TSN capability is obtained during the QoS flow setup appears to be unsupported by the specification. Therefore claim 3 recites that the TSN capability is obtained during both the PDU session establishment and the QoS flow setup.
The closest support for this limitation is pg.2-pg.3, which recites, “….The obtaining the TSN capability is during a Packet Data Unit (PDU) session establishment or Quality of Service (QoS) flow setup…”, therefore the specification supports obtaining the TSN capability either during a PDU session establishment or QoS flow setup but not obtaining the TSN during both the PDU session establishment and QoS flow setup.
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.
Claims 1, 3-8, 10, 11, 13-16, 18, 21, 23, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0275729 issued to Patel et al.(Patel) in view of US 2021/0250787 issued to Kolding et al.(Kolding).
As per claims 1,11,18, Patel teaches teaches a method for wireless communication, comprising: obtaining/sending, by Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Centralized User Configuration Function(TSNCF) from a base station or a User Plane Function(UPF), a TSN capability of the base station or the UPF(Fig.5,6, [0130] The CUC entity may configure and/or (e.g., indirectly) management the TSN domain. The configuration and/or management of the TSN domain can be implemented in different manners, e.g. centralized as schematically illustrated in FIG. 5 . The TSN domain 500 may be controlled by the CUC entity 502, e.g., through a centralized network configuration (CNC) entity 504. [0144]A first setup step 602 comprises the CUC entity 502 receiving in the step 304 and/or 404 TSN attributes as input from the RG 512 and/or the UPF 522, respectively…); the obtaining dependent on a user equipment(UE) transmitting a Packet Data Unit(PDU) session establishment request during a PDU session establishment(Fig.8, [0174] When the UE 513 is connected to the TSN domain 500 (i.e., to the TSN infrastructure) via the RG-TT 100 instead of to the RAN 710, the connectivity option for TSN may be sent to the UE 513 or the RG 512. Alternatively or in addition, the connectivity option for TSN may be applied at a PDU Session Establishment procedure triggered by the UE 513. [0181] In a variant of any embodiment, the wired UE 513 or RG 512 (i.e., at the RG-TT 100) sends a requests for (e.g., regular) establishment of the PDU session 702 to the CN 720 (e.g., the 5GCORE). The CN 720 determines based on information as to a network topology (e.g., a result of the LLDP) of the wireline connection 506 that the UE 513 or RG 512 is connected via a wired TSN network and thus triggers configuration of the RG 512 and/or the RG-TT 100 as well as the UPF 522 and/or the GW-TT 200 so that at least one or each of the RG-TT 100 and the GW-TT 200 can establish the TSN connection according to the method 300 and 400, respectively, by translating the one or more QoS parameters received from or confirmed by the CN (e.g., the AMF 722 or the UPF 522) and sending the one or more TSN attributes resulting from the translation.
obtaining/sending, by the TSNCF, during a Quality of Service (QoS) flow establishment, QoS parameters([0184] A second further setup step comprises the UE 513 or the RG 512 initiating or sending a request for establishing the PDU session 702 (i.e., a PDU session establishment request). The request is indicative of the QoS parameters, e.g., required parameters as defined in the 3GPP document TS 24.501, version 17.1.0., [188] …, i.e., the QoS parameters are translated and sent to the CUC entity 502 according to the methods 300 and 400, respectively (briefly referred to as TSN setup or TSN stream setup or TSN connection setup).)
Patel however does not explicitly teach latency/stream requirement.
Kolding explicitly teaches latency/stream requirement([0028] …. deterministic capabilities in terms of e.g., user-plane and/or control-plane delays, jitter, and reliability, as a function of the data flow parameters…..wherein the characteristics are based on specific windows of time, wherein the specific windows of time are based on at least one of data flow periodicity, transmit widow timing, cycles of transmit window timing, wherein the characteristics comprise indications of at least one of an availability of guaranteed latency, a minimum guaranteed latency, and a maximum guaranteed latency of communications in the 5GS network for at least one interval of time….wherein the communicating comprises communications to determine, based on the characteristics for the at least one interval of time, how to achieve a specific deterministic latency during the at least one interval of time, wherein the communications to determine how to achieve a specific deterministic latency for the communication during the at least one interval of time, comprises communications to determine how to achieve a specific deterministic latency during a time period within the at least one interval of time, wherein the communicating comprises communication rules for achieving a best minimum guaranteed latency for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises a time variance expected for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises an indication of at least one integer range of indices of a payload for the communication during the at least one interval of time, and/or wherein the characteristics are based on the at least one integer range of indices.)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Patel’s teachings of obtaining/sending TSN capability during PDU session establishment, and obtaining QoS parameters to include Kolding teachings of latency/stream requirement in order to provide the predictable result of obtaining/sending TSN capability during PDU session establishment, and obtaining QoS parameters such as latency/stream requirement.
One ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings in order to fulfill TSN strict requirements(Kolding, para.47)
As per claim 3,13, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 2,12, wherein the obtaining/sending the TSN capability is during Quality of Service (QoS) flow setup(Patel, [0009] As to a first method aspect, a method of communicating protocol data units (PDUs) of a PDU session through a wireline connection (e.g., a wireline communication) between a residential gateway (RG) and a user plane function (UPF) of a core network (CN) of a radio communications system is provided. The PDU session extends between the UPF and the RG registered as a user equipment (UE) at the CN. The method comprises or initiates a step of translating one or more QoS parameters associated with at least one QoS flow of the PDU session to one or more time-sensitive networking (TSN) attributes. The method further comprises or initiates a step of sending the one or more TSN attributes to an entity for centralized user configuration (CUC) of a TSN domain comprising the wireline connection between the RG and the UPF.).
As per claim 4, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising: obtaining stream requirement (Kolding, ([0028] … for achieving a best minimum guaranteed latency for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises a time variance expected for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises an indication of at least one integer range of indices of a payload for the communication during the at least one interval of time, and/or wherein the characteristics are based on the at least one integer range of indices) for a Quality of service(QoS) flow setup ( Patel,[0009] ). Motivation to combine set forth in claim 1.
As per claim 5,14,23, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 4,11, 18, wherein the stream requirement comprises stream information, stream time information, a base station address, or a (UPF) address(Kolding, ([0028] … for achieving a best minimum guaranteed latency for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises a time variance expected for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises an indication of at least one integer range of indices of a payload for the communication during the at least one interval of time, and/or wherein the characteristics are based on the at least one integer range of indices). Motivation to combine set forth in claim 1,11,18.
As per claim 6, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the latency requirement further comprises: receiving, by the (TSNCF), a Core Network Packet Delay(CN PDB) from a base station, a Session Management Function (SMF), or a Policy Control Function (PCF)( Patel, [0047] The one or more QoS parameters may be indicative or may be based on at least one of a Packet Delay Budget (PDB); a QoS Class Identifiers (QCI); a limit on a delay of the PDUs; and a limit on a jitter of the PDUs. [0049] The radio communications system may comprise a radio access network (RAN). The RAN may provide radio access to the CN for a plurality of further UEs (also: radio devices). The QoS parameters may comprise the PDB that comprises a first part for the RAN and a second part for the wireline connection. The translating may be based on the second part. Optionally, the first part and the second part may sum up to the PDB.).
As per claim 7, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 1, however does not explicitly teach sending, by the (TSNCF), a talker/listener status to a Centralized Network Configuration (CNC)(Patel, Fig.5,6,8, [0151] A seventh setup step at reference sign 612 comprises creating groups of talkers 508 and listener 508 (e.g., a group of elements specifying a TSN stream 510) by the CUC entity, e.g., as specified in IEEE 802.1Qcc, 46.2.2.)
As per claim 8, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving, by the TSNCF, a configuration from Centralized Network Configuration (CNC)(Patel, Fig.5,6, step 620); and sending, by the TSNCF, the configuration to a basestation and a User Plane Function (UPF)(Patel, Fig.6, [0158] An thirteenth setup step 622 comprises the CUC entity 504 configuring the device 100 and 200 as TSN end stations in steps 306 and 406 of the methods 300 and 400, respectively. This protocol used for this information exchange may be out of the scope of the IEEE 802.1Qcc specification. Responsive to the TSN configuration from the CUC entity 502, a user plane traffic exchange may start as defined initially between the devices 100 and 200 (e.g., as listener 508 and talker 508). [0159] In the TSN domain 500, the stream identifier (ID) is used to uniquely identify stream configurations. The stream ID is used to assign TSN resources to a TSN stream 510 of a user (e.g., the device 100 or 200). The stream ID comprises the two tuples of [0160] (i) a MAC address associated with the TSN talker (e.g., the device 100 or 200) and [0161] (ii) a unique identifier (ID) to distinguish between multiple TSN streams 510 within end stations 100 and 200 identified by the Mac Address.
As per claim 10, 16, 21, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 1,11,18, further comprising: obtaining a Core Network Packet Delay Budget (CN PDB) latency requirement(Patel, [0047] The one or more QoS parameters may be indicative or may be based on at least one of a Packet Delay Budget (PDB); a QoS Class Identifiers (QCI); a limit on a delay of the PDUs; and a limit on a jitter of the PDUs. [0049] The radio communications system may comprise a radio access network (RAN). The RAN may provide radio access to the CN for a plurality of further UEs (also: radio devices). The QoS parameters may comprise the PDB that comprises a first part for the RAN and a second part for the wireline connection. The translating may be based on the second part. Optionally, the first part and the second part may sum up to the PDB; Kolding, [0159] 3GPP network should support derivation of TSN Bridge Delay managed object attributes (independentDelayMin/Max and dependentDelayMin/Max) for a 3GPP Bridge based on 3GPP attributes, e.g., QoS flow packet delay budget (PDB) values, GFBR, and the MDBV indicated in the QoS profile. Mapping of 3GPP attributes to TSN capabilities could happen in the SMF or PCF and the exposure of capabilities towards TSN Bridge can happen via NEF (if it is an untrusted AF) or SMF/PCF (in case of trusted AF). Motivation to combine set forth in claim 1.
As per claim 15, Patel in view of Kolding teaches the method of claim 11, further comprising: sending, by the UPF, during a Quality of Service (QoS) flow establishment(Patel, [0009] As to a first method aspect, a method of communicating protocol data units (PDUs) of a PDU session through a wireline connection (e.g., a wireline communication) between a residential gateway (RG) and a user plane function (UPF) of a core network (CN) of a radio communications system is provided. The PDU session extends between the UPF and the RG registered as a user equipment (UE) at the CN. The method comprises or initiates a step of translating one or more QoS parameters associated with at least one QoS flow of the PDU session to one or more time-sensitive networking (TSN) attributes. The method further comprises or initiates a step of sending the one or more TSN attributes to an entity for centralized user configuration (CUC) of a TSN domain comprising the wireline connection between the RG and the UPF.), a stream requirement(Kolding, 0028] … determine how to achieve a specific deterministic latency during a time period within the at least one interval of time, wherein the communicating comprises communication rules for achieving a best minimum guaranteed latency for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises a time variance expected for the at least one interval of time, wherein the rules for achieving the best minimum guaranteed latency comprises an indication of at least one integer range of indices of a payload for the communication during the at least one interval of time, and/or wherein the characteristics are based on the at least one integer range of indices). Motivation to combine set forth in claim 11.
Claims 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2024/0275729 issued to Patel et al.(Patel) in view of US 2021/0250787 issued to Kolding et al.(Kolding) in view of US 2021/0306842 issued to Rivas Molina et al.(Rivas).
As per claim 24, Patel in view of Kolding taches the method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the TSN capability([0144]A first setup step 602 comprises the CUC entity 502 receiving in the step 304 and/or 404 TSN attributes as input from the RG 512 and/or the UPF 522, respectively…) however does not explicitly teach the use of receipt of a notify message from a Policy Control Function (PCF).
Rivas teaches PCF transmitting service notify message for notifying, [0075].
Therefore it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Patel in view of Kolding teachings of obtaining/sending TSN capability during PDU session establishment, and obtaining QoS parameters such as latency/stream requirement to apply the known method of Rivas of PCF transmitting service notify message for notifying in order to provide the predictable result of the PCF transmitting notify message for obtaining TSN capability during PDU session establishment.
One ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine the teachings in order to monitor events and/or related network functions in telecommunication networks(Rivas, para.1).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the 101 rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive, therefore that rejection is withdrawn.
The applicant’s amendment overcomes the claim objection for claims 4,22, therefore that rejection is withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior rejections have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the prior art rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made set forth above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892.
US 2021/0274375 issued to Li et al., teaches A time-sensitive networking communication method and an apparatus, where the method may include: receiving, by a policy control network element, forwarding policy information of time sensitive networking (TSN) traffic; triggering the policy control network element to manage a quality of service (QoS) flow corresponding to the TSN traffic; determining a user terminal corresponding to the TSN traffic; determining, in a QoS flow corresponding to the user terminal, the QoS flow corresponding to the TSN traffic; creating or updating, according to the forwarding policy information, a QoS policy of the QoS flow corresponding to the TSN traffic; and sending the QoS policy to a session management network element, where the forwarding policy information includes traffic information of the TSN traffic and an identifier of a port that transmits the TSN traffic.
US 2022/0046462 issued to De Andrade Jardim et al., teaches Systems and method are disclosed herein that relate to support for virtual Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) bridge management, Quality of Service (QoS) mapping, and TSN related scheduling in a cellular communications system. In some embodiments, a method performed by one or more network nodes of a cellular communications system operating as a virtual TSN bridge of a TSN network comprises providing, to a controller associated with the TSN network, parameters that relate to capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge. The parameters that relate to the capabilities of the virtual TSN bridge comprise a first parameter that defines a clock accuracy of an entity in the cellular communications system that operates gating control for the virtual TSN bridge and a second parameter that informs the controller associated with the TSN network that the virtual TSN bridge or a particular egress port of the virtual TSN bridge is restricted to exclusive gating.
US 2021/0204172 issued to Rost et al, teaches a method including obtaining parameters for a flow from a first network through a second network, the parameters including: a maximum protocol data unit volume PDUV.sub.max in the first network, a maximum flow bit rate MFBR in the second network, a guaranteed flow bit rate GFBR in the second network, and a maximum protocol data unit delay budget in the second network; deriving from the obtained parameters: a maximum delay a packet of the flow experiences in the second network, wherein the maximum delay is a sum of a maximum PDUV.sub.max dependent contribution and a maximum PDUV.sub.max independent contribution, a minimum delay the packet experiences in the second network, wherein the minimum delay is a sum of a minimum PDUV.sub.max dependent contribution and a minimum PDUV.sub.max independent contribution.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/BACKHEAN TIV/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2459
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