DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 37-40, 42, 43, and 47-52 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Griot et al (US Publication 2021/0352444 A1).
Regarding to claims 37 and 50, Griot discloses an access network node 141/1400 (fig. 1B/14) comprising: at least one memory 1402 storing instructions; and at least one processor 1401 (page 17 paragraph 0159) configured to process the instructions to: transmit 910, to a further access network node 141 (target base station/RAN node), a handover request message including Multicast and Broadcast Services MBS session configuration information (fig. 9 page 14 paragraph 0136); receive 912, from the further access network node, a handover request acknowledgement message, wherein in a case where the further access network node or a cell of the further access network node supports MBS, the handover request acknowledgement message includes information indicating that the further access network node or the cell of the further access network node supports the MBS (page 14 paragraph 0137); and control handover 914 related to the MBS between the access network node and the further access network node based on the information (page 14 paragraph 0138).
Regarding to claim 38, Griot discloses the information includes MBS session related information (page 14 paragraph 0136).
Regarding to claim 39, Griot discloses the information includes information identifying a service of the MBS supported by the further access network node or the cell of the further access network node (page 14 paragraph 0136).
Regarding to claim 40, Griot discloses in a case 916 where the further access network node does not support the MBS over a multicast radio bearer MRB: receiving, from the further access network node, configuration for a second data radio bearer DRB at the further access network node; and transmitting, to a user equipment UE 120 (fig. 1A), the configuration for the second DRB for providing the MBS to the UE over the second DRB (pages 14-15 paragraph 0139).
Regarding to claim 42, Griot discloses the configuration for the second DRB is included in a Radio Resource Control RRC message to the UE (page 11 paragraph 0112).
Regarding to claim 43, Griot discloses the RRC message indicates a mapping between the MRB and the second DRB (fig. 4A page 10 paragraph 0107).
Regarding to claims 47 and 51, Griot discloses a further access network node 141/1400 (fig. 1B/14; target base station/RAN node) comprising: at least one memory 1402 storing instructions; and at least one processor 1401 (page 17 paragraph 0159) configured to process the instructions to: receive 910, from an access network node 141 (source base station/RAN node), a handover request message including Multicast and Broadcast Services MBS session configuration information (fig. 9 page 14 paragraph 0136); transmit 912, to the access network node, a handover request acknowledgement message, wherein in a case where the further access network node or a cell of the further access network node supports MBS, the handover request acknowledgement message includes information indicating that the further access network node or the cell of the further access network node supports the MBS (page 14 paragraph 0137); and control handover 914 related to the MBS between the further access network node and the access network node based on the information (page 14 paragraph 0138).
Regarding to claims 48 and 52, Griot discloses a user equipment 200 (fig. 2) comprising: at least one memory 220 storing instructions; and at least one processor 212-218 (page 9 paragraph 0088) configured to process the instructions to: receive 1022 a Multicast and Broadcast Services MBS service using a multicast radio bearer MRB via an access network node acting as a source node for a handover (fig. 10B page 15 paragraph 0147); perform 1026 the handover from the access network node to a further access network node acting as a target node (pages 15-16 paragraph 0149); and receive 1024 the MBS from the further access network node, in a case where the further access network node or a cell of the further access network node supports the MBS (page 15 paragraph 0148; noted the UE received the MBS from the target node indirectly, from target node to source node to UE), and wherein the handover between the further access network node and the access network node is controlled based on information indicating that the further access network node or the cell of the further access network node supports the MBS (fig. 9 page 14 paragraph 0137).
Regarding to claim 49, Griot discloses in a case 916 where the further access network node or the cell of the further access node does not support the MBS over a multicast radio bearer MRB, receiving, from the access network node, configuration for a data radio bearer DRB at the further access network node; performing the handover from the MRB to DRB based on the receiving MBS (pages 14-15 paragraph 0139).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 41 and 44-46 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Duc T Duong whose telephone number is (571)272-3122. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hassan Phillips can be reached at (571)272-3940. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DUC T DUONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467
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