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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Status
1. This is in response to application filed on 2/6/2024 in which claims 1-18 and 21-22 are presented for examination.
Priority
2. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-8, 11 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Vesely et al., (US 2023/0096763), (hereinafter, Vesely).
Regarding claim 1, Vesely discloses a method for transmitting a paging message
(= AMF 110 performs group paging, see [0126 and 0103-04]), comprising:
when a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session is about to be activated, transmitting, by an access and mobility management function (AMF), a paging message to respective base stations in a paging area (= AMF 110 performs group paging to NG-RAN node 106, see [0126-27] and Fig. 9, step 912), according to respective situations of the base stations for supporting MBS (= NG-RAN node 106 is capable of processing MBS specific UE context data, see [0105 and 0083]).
Regarding claim 2, as mentioned in claim 1, Vesely discloses that the method, further comprising: determining, by the AMF, a situation of each base station for supporting MBS by establishing a next generation (NG) interface between each base station and the AMF (= connection between AMF 110 and NG-RAN 106, see [0111] and Fig. 9, step 912).
Regarding claim 5, as mentioned in claim 1, Vesely discloses the method, wherein the paging message is transmitted from the base station to a user equipment (UE) via a unicast paging message or a multicast- dedicated group paging message (see, [0127]).
Regarding claim 6, as mentioned in claim 5, Vesely discloses the method, wherein transmitting the paging message to the respective base stations in the paging area comprises under a case that there is a base station supporting MB S in the paging area, transmitting group paging message comprising MBS session information, and a paging message comprising UE identity (UEID) information; or transmitting a paging message comprising MBS session information and lEID information corresponding to the MBS session; or transmitting a group paging message comprising MBS session information.
(see, [0126-27 and 0113]).
Regarding claim 7, as mentioned in claim 6, Vesely discloses the method, wherein the MBS session information comprises any one or a combination of.an MBS session ID, a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI), or a multicast IP address (see, [0126-27]).
Regarding claim 8, Vesely disclose a method for transmitting a paging message, comprising:
receiving, by a base station, a paging message from an access and mobility management function (AMF) (= AMF 110 performs group paging to NG-RAN node 106, see [0126-27] and Fig. 9, step 912); and
after reading, by the base station, information in the paging message according to a situation of the base station for supporting MBS, paging a user equipment (UE), by the base station (= NG-RAN node 106 triggers group paging, see [0127]).
Regarding claim 11, as mentioned in claim 8, Vesely discloses the method, wherein the paging message is transmitted from the base station to the UE via a unicast paging message or a multicast-dedicated group paging message (see, [0127]).
Regarding claim 17, Vesely discloses a method for receiving a paging message, comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE), a paging message from a base station (= (= NG-RAN node 106 triggers group paging, see [0127]); and
after reading, by the UE, information in the paging message according to a situation of the UE for supporting MBS, receiving, by the UE, a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session (= UE 108 interested in the MBS sends MBS Service Request, see [0128]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 3-4, 9-10 and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vesely in view of Li et al., (US 2024/0172175), (hereinafter, Li).
Regarding claim 3, as mentioned in claim 1, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: determining, by the AMF, paging area in any one or a combination of: determining, by the AMF, a group paging area and a unicast paging area according to a tracking area (TA) list and multicast service group member information; or determining, by the AMF, a group paging area and a unicast paging area according to a TA configuration mode.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: determining, by the AMF, paging area in any one or a combination of: determining, by the AMF, a group paging area and a unicast paging area according to a tracking area (TA) list and multicast service group member information; or determining, by the AMF, a group paging area and a unicast paging area according to a TA configuration mode (= group paging configuration depends on location or the number of UEs 102 to be paged/ per tracking area; and providing the paging configuration to the involved AMF 172, see [0141]; and AMF 172 determines whether a UE 102 need to be paged, see [0143]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 4, as mentioned in claim 3, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose the method, wherein the TA configuration mode comprises any one of: all base stations in a TA, supporting the MBS session, or all base stations in a TA, not supporting the MBS session; or a base station supporting the MBS session and a base station not supporting the MBS session being in a same TA.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, wherein the TA configuration mode comprises any one of: all base stations in a TA, supporting the MBS session, or all base stations in a TA, not supporting the MBS session; or a base station supporting the MBS session and a base station not supporting the MBS session being in a same TA (= see, [0141]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 9, as mentioned in claim 8, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose the method, wherein reading by the base station the information in the paging message comprises: in response to receiving a group paging messages comprising multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session information, and a paging message comprising UE identity (UEID) information, selecting, by the base station supporting MBS, the group paging message, and transmitting the paging message comprising the MBS session information at all paging occasions (POs),
or selecting, by the base station not supporting MBS, the paging message, and transmitting the paging message only comprising the UEID information at a PO corresponding to the UE ID;
or in response to receiving a message comprising MBS session information and UEID information corresponding to the MBS session, transmitting, by the base station supporting MBS, the paging message comprising the MBS session information or comprising the MBS session information and carrying the UEID information, at a PO corresponding to the UEID information, according to the UEID information;
or transmitting, by the base station not supporting MBS, the paging message only comprising the UEID information at a PO corresponding to the UEID information, according to the UEID information;
or in response to receiving a group paging message comprising MBS session information, transmitting, by the base station supporting MBS, the paging message comprising the MBS session information at all POs,
or according to group member information obtained from a core network, transmitting the paging message comprising the MBS session information or comprising the MBS session information and carrying the UE ID information at a PO corresponding to a member only;
or after the base station not supporting MBS requests corresponding UE ID information from the AMF, transmitting the paging message comprising a UE identity (UE_ID) at a PO corresponding to the UEID only.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, wherein reading by the base station the information in the paging message comprises: in response to receiving a group paging messages comprising multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session information, and a paging message comprising UE identity (UEID) information, selecting, by the base station supporting MBS, the group paging message, and transmitting the paging message comprising the MBS session information at all paging occasions (POs) (see, [0163]),
or selecting, by the base station not supporting MBS, the paging message, and transmitting the paging message only comprising the UEID information at a PO corresponding to the UE ID;
or in response to receiving a message comprising MBS session information and UEID information corresponding to the MBS session, transmitting, by the base station supporting MBS, the paging message comprising the MBS session information or comprising the MBS session information and carrying the UEID information, at a PO corresponding to the UEID information, according to the UEID information;
or transmitting, by the base station not supporting MBS, the paging message only comprising the UEID information at a PO corresponding to the UEID information, according to the UEID information;
or in response to receiving a group paging message comprising MBS session information, transmitting, by the base station supporting MBS, the paging message comprising the MBS session information at all POs,
or according to group member information obtained from a core network, transmitting the paging message comprising the MBS session information or comprising the MBS session information and carrying the UE ID information at a PO corresponding to a member only;
or after the base station not supporting MBS requests corresponding UE ID information from the AMF, transmitting the paging message comprising a UE identity (UE_ID) at a PO corresponding to the UEID only.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 10, as mentioned in claim 8, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: configuring, by the base station, an MBS-dedicated discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle via a system message.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: configuring, by the base station, an MBS-dedicated discontinuous reception (DRX) cycle via a system message (= see, [0146]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 12, as mentioned in claim 11, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose the method, wherein the PO at which the base station transmits the group paging message comprises: in response to transmitting via the unicast paging message, the PO being a PO obtained according to a UE identity (UEID); or in response to transmitting via the MBS-dedicated group paging message, the PO being a PO obtained according to MBS session information.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the method, wherein the PO at which the base station transmits the group paging message comprises: in response to transmitting via the unicast paging message, the PO being a PO obtained according to a UE identity (UEID); or in response to transmitting via the MBS-dedicated group paging message, the PO being a PO obtained according to MBS session information (= see, [0146 and 0163]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 13, as mentioned in claim 11, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: for the group paging message transmitted via the unicast paging message, indicating whether to comprise MBS session group paging information or whether to comprise a type of MBS session group paging information via a short message.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: for the group paging message transmitted via the unicast paging message, indicating whether to comprise MBS session group paging information or whether to comprise a type of MBS session group paging information via a short message (= see, [0077, 0080 and 0146]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 14, as mentioned in claim 11, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: configuring, by the base station, a fixed radio frame and subframe position for receiving the group paging message, in the MBS-dedicated DRX cycle, via a system message; or for multicast services configured with a same set of MBS-dedicated DRX cycle configurations, dispersing, by the base station, a time domain position at which an MBS session subscriber or interested user group needs to monitor paging, to different paging occasions (POs) or paging frames (PFs), according to service identity information of the MBS session.
However, Li, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: configuring, by the base station, a fixed radio frame and subframe position for receiving the group paging message, in the MBS-dedicated DRX cycle, via a system message; or for multicast services configured with a same set of MBS-dedicated DRX cycle configurations, dispersing, by the base station, a time domain position at which an MBS session subscriber or interested user group needs to monitor paging, to different paging occasions (POs) or paging frames (PFs), according to service identity information of the MBS session (= see, [0077, 0080 and 0146]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
6. Claims 15-16, 18 and 21-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vesely and Li in view of Babaei (US 2024/0260134), (hereinafter, Babaei).
Regarding claim 15, as mentioned in claim 11, the combination of Vesely and Li explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: scrambling the group paging message via a group-radio network temporary identity (G- RNTI) or a group paging-radio network temporary identity (GP-RNTI); or scrambling the group paging message and the unicast paging message via a paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI).
However, Babaei, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: scrambling the group paging message via a group-radio network temporary identity (G- RNTI) or a group paging-radio network temporary identity (GP-RNTI); or scrambling the group paging message and the unicast paging message via a paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI) (= see [0134 and 0136]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Babaei with Vesely and Li for the benefit of achieving a communication system that is directed to multicast broadcast service notification signaling by enhancing multicast services in a radio resource inactive state.
Regarding claim 16, as mentioned in claim 15, the combination of Vesely and Li explicitly fails to disclose the method, wherein when scrambling the group paging message and the unicast paging message via the P-RNTI, the method further comprises: configuring a receiving offset of a group-paging occasion (G-PO) or a unicast paging occasion (PO); adding the group paging message in the unicast paging message; or configuring a UE energy saving mode.
However, Babaei, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses the method, wherein when scrambling the group paging message and the unicast paging message via the P-RNTI, the method further comprises: configuring a receiving offset of a group-paging occasion (G-PO) or a unicast paging occasion (PO); adding the group paging message in the unicast paging message; or configuring a UE energy saving mode
(= see [0134 and 0136]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Babaei with Vesely and Li for the benefit of achieving a communication system that is directed to multicast broadcast service notification signaling by enhancing multicast services in a radio resource inactive state.
Regarding claim 18, as mentioned in claim 17, the combination of Vesely and Li explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: receiving, by the UE, a radio network temporary identity (RNTI) for an MBS session group paging message, allocated by a base station, in a registration or join procedure.
However, Babaei, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: receiving, by the UE, a radio network temporary identity (RNTI) for an MBS session group paging message, allocated by a base station, in a registration or join procedure (= see [0134 and 0136]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Babaei with Vesely and Li for the benefit of achieving a communication system that is directed to multicast broadcast service notification signaling by enhancing multicast services in a radio resource inactive state.
Regarding claim 21, as mentioned in claim 17, Vesely explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: determining whether the paging message comprises MBS session group paging information or only is a paging message according to an indication of a short message.
However, Babaei, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: determining whether the paging message comprises MBS session group paging information or only is a paging message according to an indication of a short message (= see, [0077, 0080 and 0146]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Li with Vesely and Babaei for the benefit of achieving a communication system that assists in addressing a signaling efficiency issue when the network aims to page a group of terminals in a multicast group.
Regarding claim 22, as mentioned in claim 17, the combination of Vesely and Li explicitly fails to disclose that the method, further comprising: descrambling a group paging message via a group-radio network temporary identity (G- RNTI) or a group paging-radio network temporary identity (GP-RNTI); or, descrambling a group paging message and a unicast paging message via a paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI).
However, Babaei, which is an analogous art equivalently discloses that the method, further comprising: descrambling a group paging message via a group-radio network temporary identity (G- RNTI) or a group paging-radio network temporary identity (GP-RNTI); or, descrambling a group paging message and a unicast paging message via a paging-radio network temporary identity (P-RNTI) (= see [0134 and 0136]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have combined the teaching of Babaei with Vesely and Li for the benefit of achieving a communication system that is directed to multicast broadcast service notification signaling by enhancing multicast services in a radio resource inactive state.
CONCLUSION
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. Gupta et al., (US 2012/0263089) teaches demand-based multimedia broadcast multicast service management.
b. Wang et al., (US 20130294321) teaches smooth transition between multimedia broadcast multicast service and unicast service by demand.
c. Li et al., (US 2020/0344576) teaches multicast and broadcast services in 5G network for IOT applications.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KWASI KARIKARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8566. The examiner can normally be reached M-Sat: 6am-10pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Appiah can be reached on 571-272-7904. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kwasi Karikari/
Primary Examiner: Art Unit 2641.