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 .
2. This office action is a response to an application filed on 05/01/2024 where claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/31/2025, 04/17/2026 has been considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37CFR 1.97.
Drawings
4. The drawings were received on 05/01/2024. These drawing are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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) 1-4,6, 12-15, 17, 23, 24, 28, 32, 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being interpreted by Wu (US 20220264684 A1)hereinafter Wu
As to claim 1. Wu teaches A method for wireless communications by a user equipment (UE), comprising:([0028] Fig. 2, a method by UE)
transmitting, to a source base station prior to a handover of the UE to a target base station, one or more first segments of a radio resource control (RRC) message; and ([0040] Fig. 3A, UE transmits 1st RRC segments to source base station 104-1, before sending RRCreestablishment request/handover request, to target base station 104-2)
transmits
transmitting, to the target base station after the handover, one or more second segments of the RRC message. ([0073]Fig. 9b, UE 102 sequentially transmits (964-(L+1) through 964-N) the (L+1)-th through N-th segments of the RRC Response Message A to the base station 104-2.)
Claim 12, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
As to claim 2. Wu teaches , wherein transmitting the second segments, comprises at least one of:
re-transmitting one or more segments of the RRC message that were unsuccessfully transmitted to the source base station; or
transmitting one or more segments of the RRC message that were not transmitted to the source base station. ([0036][0038] Fig. 2, after failure UE retransmits RRC segments to base station 104-1))
Claim 13, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 2.
As to claim 3. Wu teaches wherein the UE transmits the one or more second segments to the source base station via a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer. ([0022] Fig. 1, On the UE 102 side, the RRC layer 140 (i.e., RRC controller 122) can divide one or more types of RRC messages into multiple segments, and the UE 102 to sequentially transmit the RRC PDU segments to the base station 104-1 via PDCP layer/protocol stack).
Claims 14 and 24, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 3.
As to claim 4. Wu teaches further comprising: receiving, from the source base station, signaling indicating one or more of the first segments were not successfully received by the source base station,([0035] Fig. 2, 035] In response to the failure, the UE 102 and the RAN 104 perform 230 an RRC connection reestablishment procedure. After the UE 102 and RAN 104 reestablish the RRC connection, the RAN 104 determines 260 to initiate the same RRC Procedure A, and therefore transmits 262 another RRC Message A)
wherein the UE re-transmits, to the target base station, the one or more of the first segments were not successfully received by the source base station. ([0043] Fig. 3B, the base station 104-2 determines 360 to initiate the RRC Procedure A (e.g., the UE capability transfer procedure), and transmits 362 another RRC Message A (e.g., another UECapabilityEnquiry message) to the UE 102. In response to RRC Message A, the UE 102 sequentially transmits (364-1 through 364-N) all N segments of RRC Response Message A (e.g., the UECapabilityInformation message) to the base station 104-2)
Claim 15, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 4.
As to claim 6. Wu teaches , further comprising: receiving, from the source base station, signaling indicating one or more of the first segments were not successfully received by the source base station, ,([0018][0022][0035] Fig. 2, response to the failure of RRC Segments, the UE 102 and the RAN 104 perform 230 an RRC connection reestablishment procedure. After the UE 102 and RAN 104 reestablish the RRC connection, the RAN 104 determines 260 to initiate the same RRC Procedure A, and therefore transmits 262 another RRC Message A)
wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, all PDCP packets corresponding segments of the RRC message, if PDCP packets corresponding segments of the RRC message are not successfully received by the source base station. ([0018][0022][0043] Fig. 3B, . In response to RRC Message A, the UE 102 sequentially transmits (364-1 through 364-N)/retransmits, all N segments of RRC Response Message A,1st segments including PDU packets to nth segments including PDU packets (e.g., the UECapabilityInformation message) to the base station 104-2)
Claim 17, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 6.
As to claim 23. Wu teaches A method for wireless communications by a source base station, comprising([0027] a source base station)
receiving, from a user equipment (UE) prior to a handover of the UE to a target base station, one or more first segments of a radio resource control (RRC) message; transmitting, to the UE, ([0040] Fig. 3A, UE transmits 1st RRC segments to source base station 104-1, before sending RRCreestablishment request/handover request, to target base station 104-2)
feedback indicating the source base station successfully received one or more of the first segments; ([0006] base station inform the user device of which segments to transmit or re-transmit, the RAN sends the user device an RRC message indicating (explicitly or implicitly) the last (L-th) segment that was successfully received by the RAN)
and
transmitting, to the target base station, one or more of the first segments successfully received by the source base station. ([0089] [0090] Fig. 11, the base station 104-2receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either the another base station 104-1 , where L is an integer greater than zero and less than N.
Claim 32, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 23.
As to claim 28. A method for wireless communications by a target base station, comprising([0015] Fig. 1, a target base station 104-2)
receiving, from a source base station, one or more of first segments of a radio resource control (RRC) message that were successfully received by the source base station from a user equipment (UE) prior to a handover of the UE to the target base station; ([0089] [0090] Fig. 11, the base station 104-2receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either the user device or another base station 104-1 , where L is an integer greater than zero and less than N.
receiving, from the UE after the handover, one or more second segments of the RRC message; ([0073]Fig. 9B, UE 102 sequentially transmits (964-(L+1) through 964-N) the (L+1)-th through N-th segments of the RRC Response Message A to the base station 104-2.)
and reassembling the RRC message based on a first segments received from the source base station and the second segments received from the UE. ([0053] [0089][0090] ]Fig. 3A, Fig. 5B,Fig. 11, UE sends remaining RRC segments to target base station, the base station 104-2receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either source base station 104-1; all segments and assemble the complete RRC PDU containing RRC Response Message A)
Claim 33, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 28.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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) 5, 16, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31 s/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu and further in view of Kim (US 20200221329 A1) hereinafter Kim
As to claim 5. Wu does not teach further comprising: providing, in a PDCP layer to the source base station, an indication of a PDCP sequence number for a last segment of the RRC message.
Kim teaches further comprising: providing, in a PDCP layer to the source base station, an indication of a PDCP sequence number for a last segment of the RRC message.
([0177] [0195]Fig. 1G, UE transmit an RRC segment message via a bearer; a reception PDCP layer reassembles data in order according to PDCP sequence numbers/segments has PDCP sequence)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Kim with the teaching of Wu because Kim teaches that receiving data with PDCP sequence number would allow a receiving end may receive the data by successfully reassembling the segmented data. (Kim[0205])
Claim 16, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 5.
As to claim 25. Wu teaches , wherein the source base station transmits the one or more of the first segments successfully received by the source base station to the target base station as at least one of: ([0034][0089] [0090] Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, RAN 104 to provide feedback to the UE 102, to inform the UE 102 of which segments the RAN 104 has successfully received. This latter option, which allows the UE 102 to avoid transmitting segments that the RAN 104 has already received, the base station 104-2 receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either the another base station 104-1 , where L is an integer greater than zero and less than N.
Wu does not teach one or more RRC layer segments in order; or one or more PDCP service data units (SDUs).
Kim teaches one or more RRC layer segments in order; or one or more PDCP service data units (SDUs). ( [0144] In this regard, the in-sequence delivery function of the NR RLC layer 1d-10 or 1d-35 indicates a function of delivering RLC SDUs received from a lower layer to an upper layer in order, in-sequence delivery function of the NR RLC layer 1d-10 or 1d-35a may include at least one of a function of reassembling the RLC SDUs and delivering the reassembled RLC SDU when a plurality of RLC SDUs segmented from one RLC SDU are received)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Kim with the teaching of Wu because Kim teaches that receiving data with PDCP sequence number would allow a receiving end may receive the data by successfully reassembling the segmented data. (Kim[0205])
Claim 29, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 25.
As to claim 26. Wu teaches , wherein the source base station transmits the one or more of the first segments successfully received by the source base station to the target base station as ([0034][0089] [0090] Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, RAN 104 to provide feedback to the UE 102, to inform the UE 102 of which segments the RAN 104 has successfully received. This latter option, which allows the UE 102 to avoid transmitting segments that the RAN 104 has already received, the base station 104-2 receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either the another base station 104-1 , where L is an integer greater than zero and less than N.
Wu does not teach :one or more RRC layer segments, regardless of order.
Kim teaches :one or more RRC layer segments, regardless of order. ( [0144] In this regard, the in-sequence delivery function of the NR RLC layer 1d-10 or 1d-35 indicates a function of delivering RLC SDUs received from a lower layer to an upper layer in order, in-sequence delivery function of the NR RLC layer 1d-10 or 1d-35a may include at least one of a function of reassembling the RLC SDUs and delivering the reassembled RLC SDU when a plurality of RLC SDUs segmented from one RLC SDU are received)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Kim with the teaching of Wu because Kim teaches that receiving data with PDCP sequence number would allow a receiving end may receive the data by successfully reassembling the segmented data. (Kim[0205])
Claim 30, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 26.
As to claim 31. Wu teaches , wherein the target base station receives the one or more of the first segments successfully received by the source base station as([0034][0089] [0090] Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, RAN 104 to provide feedback to the UE 102, to inform the UE 102 of which segments the RAN 104 has successfully received. This latter option, which allows the UE 102 to avoid transmitting segments that the RAN 104 has already received, the base station 104-2 receives the first L segments of the segmented RRC message from either the another base station 104-1 , where L is an integer greater than zero and less than N.
Wu does not teach one or more PDCP service data units (SDUs).
Kim teaches one or more PDCP service data units SDUs( [0378][0389] Retransmission of PDCP SDUs at handover and, for split bearers in DC, of PDCP PDUs at PDCP data-recovery procedure,)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Kim with the teaching of Wu because Kim teaches that receiving data with PDCP sequence number would allow a receiving end may receive the data by successfully reassembling the segmented data. (Kim[0205])
Claim(s) 7-11, 18-22 s/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu and further in view of Wu (US 20220322141 A1) hereinafter Wu41
As to claim 7. Wu does not teach further comprising: buffering, in an RRC layer, RRC segments.
Wu41 teaches further comprising: buffering, in an RRC layer, RRC segments. ([0029][0038] Fig. 1, Fig. 2, he RRC controller 124 of the UE 102 implements functionality of the RRC layer 140 on the user device 102 side,, UE 102 may generate 210 the N segments before receiving RRC Message A, and store the N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A in as starting 225 RRC Procedure A./ in RRC layer
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Wu41 with the teaching of Wu because Wu41 teaches that storing N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A would allow UE to restarts the entire transmission of the segmented RRC message to target base station after completion of the handover.(Wu41[0041])
Claim 18, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7.
As to claim 8. Wu teaches , further comprising: receiving, from the target base station or the source base station, signaling indicating one or more of the first segments that were successfully received by the source base station ([0006] base station inform the user device of which segments to transmit or re-transmit, the RAN sends the user device an RRC message indicating (explicitly or implicitly) the last (L-th) segment that was successfully received by the RAN)
Wu does not teach , wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, segments of the RRC message that were not indicated by the signaling.
Wu41 teaches , wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, segments of the RRC message that were not indicated by the signaling.([0076] Fig. 6, the base station 104-1 determines 630 that one or more handover criteria is/are satisfied; suspends 631 the handover base station 104-1 waits to receive the remaining N-M segments from the UE 102. While the base station 104-1 is suspending 631 the handover, the UE 102 sequentially transmits (644-(M+1) through 644-N) the last/remaining N-M segments to the base station 104-1)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Wu41 with the teaching of Wu because Wu41 teaches that storing N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A would allow UE to restarts the entire transmission of the segmented RRC message to target base station after completion of the handover.(Wu41[0041])
Claim 19, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 8.
As to claim 9. Wu does not teach wherein the signaling comprises an RRC status report.
Wu41 teaches wherein the signaling comprises an RRC status report.
([0043] Fig. 2b, in response to the determination 260, the base station 104-2 transmits 262 an RRC Message A to the UE 102. the base station 104-2 includes a request for the last/remaining N-M segments in the RRC Message A., the RRC Message A may include a field or information element requesting the last N-M segments/indicates previous segments already received). )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Wu41 with the teaching of Wu because Wu41 teaches that storing N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A would allow UE to restarts the entire transmission of the segmented RRC message to target base station after completion of the handover.(Wu41[0041])
Claim 20, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 9.
As to claim 10. Wu does not teach further comprising: providing, from a PDCP layer of the UE to an RRC layer of the UE, an indication of RRC segments successfully received by the source base station or the target base station, wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, segments of the RRC message that were not successfully received by the source base station.
Wu41 teaches further comprising: providing, from a PDCP layer of the UE to an RRC layer of the UE, ([0027] Fig. 1, message floes from PDCP layer to RRC layer, )
an indication of RRC segments successfully received by the source base station or the target base station, wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, segments of the RRC message that were not successfully received by the source base station. . ([0043] Fig. 2b, in response to the determination 260, the base station 104-2 transmits 262 an RRC Message A to the UE 102. the base station 104-2 includes a request for the last/remaining N-M segments in the RRC Message A., the RRC Message A may include a field or information element requesting the last N-M segments/indicates previous segments already received). )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Wu41 with the teaching of Wu because Wu41 teaches that storing N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A would allow UE to restarts the entire transmission of the segmented RRC message to target base station after completion of the handover.(Wu41[0041])
Claim 21, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 10.
As to claim 11. Wu does not teach , wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, all segments of the RRC message, if not all of the segments of the RRC message are successfully received by the source base station.
Wu41 teaches wherein the UE transmits, to the target base station, all segments of the RRC message, if not all of the segments of the RRC message are successfully received by the source base station. ([0061][0064]Fig. 4, After the determination 430, the base station 104-1 transmits 433 a HANDOVER REQUEST message to the base station 104-2. In response to receiving the RRC Message A in the transmission 463, the UE 102 sequentially transmits (464-1 through 464-N) all N segments to the base station 104-2)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Wu41 with the teaching of Wu because Wu41 teaches that storing N segments for later transmission in response to receiving RRC Message A would allow UE to restarts the entire transmission of the segmented RRC message to target base station after completion of the handover.(Wu41[0041])
Claim 22, are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 27 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 27 prior art Jin et al. [US 20230180337 A1] teaches in para [0090] NR PDCP device may mean reordering of PDCP PDUs received from a lower layer based on PDCP sequence numbers (SNs), and may include transfer of data to an upper layer in the order of reordering or immediate transfer without considering the order,
In para [0103] In case that one original RLC SDU is segmented into several RLC SDUs to be received, the in-sequence delivery of the NR RLC device may include reassembly and delivery of the RLC SDUs, reordering of the received RLC PDUs based on an RLC sequence number (SN) or a PDCP sequence number (SN), recording of lost RLC PDUs through reordering, status report for the lost RLC PDUs to a transmission side, retransmission request for the lost RLC PDUs.
And prior art Kim et al. [US 20200196376 A1]discloses in para [0078] The reordering function of the device of the NR PDCP layer 405 or 440 is a function of sequentially reordering PDCP PDUs received from a lower layer on the basis of a PDCP Sequence Number (SN), and may include a function of sequentially transferring the reordered data to a higher layer The reordering function of the device of the NR PDCP layer 405 or 440 may include a function of directly transmitting data regardless of the sequence, a function of recording PDCP PDUs lost due to the reordering, a function of reporting statuses of the lost PDCP PDUs to a transmitting side, and a function of making a request for retransmitting the lost PDCP PDUs.
However, combination or prior arts records Maga and Kim does not teach
receiving, from the UE, via a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) layer, an indication of PDCP sequence number for a last segment of the RRC message;
determining one or more of RRC segments is missing, based on the indication; and transmitting one or more PDCP service data units (SDUs), with the successfully received first segments, to the target base station.
Therefore, claim 27 independently would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objections set forth in this office action including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Parichehrehteroujeni; Ali et al. [US 20230397080 A1] Methods and Apparatuses for Providing Handover Related Information
Lindheimer; Christofer et al. [US 20220109746 A1] Methods and Apparatus for Transmitting Capability Information
Frankkila; Tomas et al. [US 20230189069 A1] SEGMENTATION FOR COORDINATION AMONG MULTIPLE NODES IN DUAL CONNECTIVITY
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ATIQUE AHMED whose telephone number is (571)272-6244. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 - 7:30 PM M-F Eastern.
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/ATIQUE AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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