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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 3/20/2024 and 7/11/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
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.
5. Claims 1-4, 9-14 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US. Pub. No. 2021/0160949 A1) in view of Kim et al. (US. Pat. No. 11,638,320 B2; referred to as Kim’320).
Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses an instruction method, applied to a centralized unit, CU, of a base station (See Par. [161]-[162] of Kim for a reference to the CU-side processing of the base station in a CU-DU split where the CU receives F1/RRC transfer information and acts on UE context), comprising:
receiving an initial uplink radio resource control (RRC) message associated with a terminal from a distributed unit (DU) of the base station (See Par. [161]-[163] of Kim for a reference to the CU receiving the initial uplink RRC transfer from DU, with UE/terminal RRC Resume Request container),
wherein the initial uplink RRC message comprises a small data transmission (SDT) indicator to indicate the SDT and a RRC resume request message sent by the terminal through a random access channel (RACH) (See Par. [160]-[162] of Kim for a reference to early data transmission (EDT) is the disclosed small/early data transmission. RRC Resume Request follows RACH; LCID for EDT in the initial uplink transfer serves as SDT/EDT indication);
determining a context of the terminal (See Par. [162]-[164] of Kim for a reference to CU/last serving gNB determine/retrieve terminal context based on I-RNTI); and
sending an instruction message to the DU (See Par. [167], [169] of Kim for a reference to CU sends control/instruction messages to DU after context/TNL information is determined), wherein the instruction message comprises interface connection information associated with the context (See Par. [167] of Kim for a reference to UL forwarding UP TNL information is connection/interface information associated with the UE context), and
the interface connection information is used to instruct the DU to transmit (SDT) traffic data of the terminal to the CU through a stored interface (See Par. [167]-[168] of Kim for a reference to the TNL/forwarding information instructs the DU how to forward buffered UL EDT/SDT data through CU path),
wherein the stored interface is a data radio bearer, DRB, data transmission tunnel associated with the terminal (See Par. [138], [166] of Kim for a reference to DRB ID/PDU session ID and UP TNL information stored in UE context map to the DRB/tunnel used for data forwarding).
Kim does not explicitly disclose the interface connection information comprises a terminal interface identification corresponding to the CU and a terminal interface identification corresponding to the DU.
However, Kim’320 discloses the interface connection information comprises a terminal interface identification corresponding to the CU and a terminal interface identification corresponding to the DU (See Col. 12; L 31 – Col. 13; L50 of Kim’320 for a reference to the CU may transmit to the DU a UE context setup request message... The UE context setup request message may include...a gNB-CU UE F1AP ID (a terminal interface ID corresponding to the CU) and a gNB-DU UE F1AP ID (a terminal interface ID corresponding to the DU).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kim’320 to Kim. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by avoiding a mismatch in RBs resumed in the DU of the base station, thus improving a user experience (e.g., a transition from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state) on the basis of the UE context stored in the RRC-INACTIVE state. (Kim’320; Col. 15; L. 63 – Col. 16; L. 3)
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses wherein the RRC resume request message comprises an Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identity (I-RNTI) (See Par. [160]-[161] of Kim for a reference to the RRC Resume Request message may include an I-RNTI which includes a gNB ID); and
the method further comprises: identifying the terminal according to the I-RNTI (See Par. [162], [164] of Kim for a reference to I-RNTI is used to resolve/identify last serving gNB and UE context); and
performing SDT authentication on the terminal (See Par. [164]-[165] and Fig. 12 of Kim for a reference to UE verification/context check is mapped to SDT/EDT authentication).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses wherein the instruction message comprises at least one of: an SDT authentication success message; a terminal context setup request message; or a terminal context modification message (See Par. [162], [167], [169] of Kim for a reference to context/control messages used to instruct DU/continue EDT after UE context resolution).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving an uplink common control channel RRC message from the DU (See Par. [161] of Kim for a reference to RRC Resume Request in initial uplink RRC transfer is signaling data carried from DU to CU), wherein the uplink common control channel RRC message carries signaling data; and in response to the uplink common control channel RRC message carrying a common control channel (CCCH) message instruction or not carrying the interface connection information associated with the context, determining, according to an I-RNTI in the signaling data carried in the uplink common control channel RRC message, a terminal to which the signaling data belongs (See Par. [162], [164] of Kim for a reference to that when the CU lacks a resolved context/forwarding path, the I-RNTI in RRC signaling is used for terminal/context determination).
Regarding claim 9, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth
in claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth
in claim 2.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth
in claim 3.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses wherein transmitting the SDT traffic data of the terminal to the CU through the stored interface according to the context of the terminal comprises:
in response to the SDT traffic data of the terminal being received through the RACH, according to a stored terminal interface corresponding to the first communication node and a stored terminal interface corresponding to the second communication node, transmitting the SDT traffic data of the terminal to the first communication node through a data radio bearer (DRB) data transmission tunnel associated with the CU through the stored interface (See Par. [138], [166]-[168] of Kim for a reference to DRB ID/PDU session ID and UP TNL information stored in UE context map to the DRB/tunnel used for data forwarding. The TNL/forwarding information instructs the DU how to forward buffered UL EDT/SDT data through CU path).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses the method according to claim 9, further comprising: in response to signaling data of the terminal being received, sending an uplink common control channel RRC message, wherein the uplink common control channel RRC message carries the signaling data (See Par. [161]-[162], [164] of Kim for a reference to RRC Resume Request in initial uplink RRC transfer is signaling data carried from DU to CU. When the CU lacks a resolved context/forwarding path, the I-RNTI in RRC signaling is used for terminal/context determination).
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses wherein the uplink common control channel RRC message further carries a common control channel (CCCH) message instruction or the interface connection information associated with the context (See Par. [162], [164] of Kim for a reference to that when the CU lacks a resolved context/forwarding path, the I-RNTI in RRC signaling is used for terminal/context determination).
Regarding claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth
in claim 1, including a base station (See Kim; Fig. 2; Base Station 210), comprising a memory (See Kim; Fig. 2; Memory 212), a processor (See Kim; Fig. 2; Processor 211), and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor (See Par. [51] of Kim for a reference to a memory storing programs executed by the processor).
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth
in claim 1, including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (See Par. [51] of Kim for a reference to a storage medium storing programs executed by the processor).
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Kim and Kim’320, specifically Kim discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving the SDT traffic data of the terminal from the DU through the stored interface, wherein the SDT traffic data is sent by the terminal to the DU through the RACH (See Par. [160]-[162] of Kim for a reference to early data transmission (EDT) is the disclosed small/early data transmission. RRC Resume Request follows RACH; LCID for EDT in the initial uplink transfer serves as SDT/EDT indication).
6. Claims 5-8 and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. in view of Kim’320 et al. and further in view of Tsai et al. (US. Pub. No. 2021/0337625 A1).
` Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a context update message from the DU, wherein the context update message comprises a configured grant (CG) resource release instruction or an updated CG resource; and in response to the context update message comprising the CG resource release instruction, determining, according to the CG resource release instruction, whether to release or retain a context of the terminal at a side of the DU.
However, Tsai discloses receiving a context update message from the DU, wherein the context update message comprises a configured grant (CG) resource release instruction or an updated CG resource (See Par. [195]-[197] of Tsai for a reference to the DU may send to the CU a context update message including a CG resource release instruction or updated CG resource); and in response to the context update message comprising the CG resource release instruction, determining, according to the CG resource release instruction, whether to release or retain a context of the terminal at a side of the DU (See Par. [197]-[200] of Tsai for a reference to the CU receiving a context update message from the DU containing CG resource information and deciding whether to release or retain the DU-side context).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose method according to claim 5, further comprising: setting CG resource-related information in an RRC release message according to the CG resource release instruction or the updated CG resource; and sending the RRC release message, wherein the RRC release message is used to notify the terminal to release or update a CG resource.
However, Tsai discloses setting CG resource-related information in an RRC release message according to the CG resource release instruction or the updated CG resource(See Par. [201]-[203] of Tsai for a reference to that based on the CG resource release instruction or updated CG resource received from the DU, the CU-CP shall configure the corresponding CG resource release/update information in an RRC Release message); and sending the RRC release message, wherein the RRC release message is used to notify the terminal to release or update a CG resource (See Par. [203]-[205] of Tsai for a reference to the CU setting CG resource information in an RRC Release message and sending it to the UE to update or release the configured grant).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein, the initial uplink RRC message carries information about an SDT category, and the SDT category comprises random access channel (RACH) SDT or CG SDT; and the method further comprises: in response to a CG resource having been configured and the SDT category being the RACH SDT, releasing or updating the CG resource.
However, Tsai discloses wherein, the initial uplink RRC message carries information about an SDT category, and the SDT category comprises random access channel (RACH) SDT or CG SDT (See Par. [154]-[155] of Tsai for a reference to the SDT category may indicate RACH-based SDT or Configured Grant-based SDT); and the method further comprises: in response to a CG resource having been configured and the SDT category being the RACH SDT, releasing or updating the CG resource (See Par. [156]-[158] of Tsai for a reference to that If CG resources are configured and the SDT category in the Initial UL RRC message indicates RACH SDT, the CU may trigger release or update of the configured CG resources).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending a terminal context update request, wherein the terminal context update request comprises a CG resource release instruction or a CG resource update instruction; wherein the CG resource release instruction is used for instructing the DU to release a CG resource and retain a context of the terminal; and the CG resource update instruction is used for instructing the DU to reallocate a CG resource and update the CG resource.
However, Tsai discloses sending a terminal context update request, wherein the terminal context update request comprises a CG resource release instruction or a CG resource update instruction (See Par. [206]-[208] of Tsai for a reference to the CU may send to the DU a UE Context Update Request); wherein the CG resource release instruction is used for instructing the DU to release a CG resource and retain a context of the terminal; and the CG resource update instruction is used for instructing the DU to reallocate a CG resource and update the CG resource (See Par. [208]-[212] of Tsai for a reference to the UE Context Update Request includes either: (a) a CG resource release instruction – instructing the DU to release the CG resource while retaining the UE context; or (b) a CG resource update instruction – instructing the DU to reallocate and update the CG resource).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 15, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 9, further comprising: sending a context update message, wherein the context update message comprises a configured grant (CG) resource release instruction or an updated CG resource.
However, Tsai discloses sending a context update message, wherein the context update message comprises a configured grant (CG) resource release instruction or an updated CG resource (See Par. [195]-[197] of Tsai for a reference to the DU may send to the CU a context update message including a CG resource release instruction or updated CG resource).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 16, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 9, further comprising: sending an initial uplink RRC message, wherein the initial uplink RRC message carries information about an SDT category, and the SDT category comprises random access channel (RACH) SDT or CG SDT.
However, Tsai discloses sending an initial uplink RRC message, wherein the initial uplink RRC message carries information about an SDT category, and the SDT category comprises random access channel (RACH) SDT or CG SDT (See Par. [154]-[155] of Tsai for a reference to the SDT category may indicate RACH-based SDT or Configured Grant-based SDT).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Regarding claim 17, the combination of Kim and Kim’320 does not explicitly disclose the method according to claim 9, further comprising: receiving a terminal context update request, wherein the terminal context update request comprises a CG resource release instruction; and releasing a CG resource and retaining the context of the terminal according to the CG resource release instruction.
However, Tsai discloses receiving a terminal context update request, wherein the terminal context update request comprises a CG resource release instruction (See Par. [195]-[197] of Tsai for a reference to the DU may send to the CU a context update message including a CG resource release instruction or updated CG resource); and releasing a CG resource and retaining the context of the terminal according to the CG resource release instruction (See Par. [197]-[200] of Tsai for a reference to the CU receiving a context update message from the DU containing CG resource information and deciding whether to release or retain the DU-side context).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Tsai to the combination of Kim and Kim’320. The motivation for combination would be to improve network’s performance; by improving small data transmission while the UE is in the Inactive state. (Tsai; Par. [5])
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Dai et al. (US 2024/0365423 Al) teaches a method and apparatus for small data transmission (SDT).
Huang et al. (US 2023/0397291 A1) teaches methods, systems, and devices for small data transmissions using configured grant.
Zhou et al. (U.S. 2021/0274393 Al) teaches a data transmission method and device in an Inactive radio resource control (Radio Resource Control, RRC) state.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to RASHA FAYED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3804. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the supervisory Examiner, Un Cho can be reached on (571)272-7919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/R.K.F/Examiner, Art Unit 2413
/UN C CHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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