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
This office action is in response to the amendments filed on 12/24/2025.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 9-10, 13-15 and 18-34 are currently pending.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 9-10, 13-15 and 18-34 are rejected.
Claims 1, 9 and 18 are independent claims.
Response to Amendment
- Claim Objection
5. Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities: “RRCRelease mesage” should be “RRCRelease message”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
6. 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.
7. Claims 23, 27 and 31 are 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. “stopping a SDT failure time upon transmitting the indication if the SDT failure time has less than a threshold time span until expiration” in claims 23, 27 and 31 are not found in current specification.
8. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
9. Claims 23, 27 and 31 recite a number limitations with “if” conditions. Examiner submits that “if” limitations do not positively claim the subject matter, thus, the claim fails to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter. Examiner respectfully suggests to change the “if” language to “when” or “in response to” to obviate this rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
10. 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.
11. 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 of this title, 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.
12. The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
13. Claims 1-2, 6-7, 9-10, 14-15, 18-32 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MING-HUNG TAO et al. (US 2023/0080733 A1), hereinafter TAO, in view of Rikin SHAH et al. (US 2024/0196444 A1), hereinafter SHAH.
For claim 1, TAO teaches a terminal device (TAO, Fig. 12), comprising:
at least one processor (TAO, Fig. 12 item 1208); and
at least one memory (TAO, Fig. 12 item 1202) including computer program code;
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the terminal device to:
transmit, to a network device, in a UE assistance information, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.);
Tao further teaches monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer (TAO, paragraph 187 teaches upon transmitting the new DCCH message indicating the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during an SDT procedure, the UE may start/restart the SDT failure detection timer and monitor the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI for receiving the RRC message from the NW responding to the new DCCH message.); and
in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, perform an action comprising: entering an idle state (TAO, paragraph 205 teaches if the UE doesn't receive any further RRC message from the NW upon the expiry of the SDT failure detection timer, the UE may autonomously transition to the RRC_IDLE state, select/reselect a cell and camp on it, and perform an RRC connection establishment procedure with the NW).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO to have transmitting, to a network device, in a UE assistance information, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer; and in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state. Therefore, a more efficient and collision-free method allowing the UE to transmit these accumulated data is beneficial from both the UE's and NW's perspectives. [TAO: paragraph 131]).
SHAH further teaches start a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitor for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer (SHAH, Fig. 15 and paragraphs 245-264.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO with SHAH to have method of transmitting, to a network device, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; starting a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer; and in an instance in which the first timer expires without the terminal device receiving a response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state and/or transmitting a connection setup or resume request to the network device. Thereby enabling an efficient handling of the arrival of non-SDT DRB data during an SDT procedure. [SHAH: paragraph 288].
For claim 2, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the non-SDT data comprises data available on a radio bearer not configured as allowed for SDT (TAO, Fig.8 paragraphs146 teaches the UE may transmit the RRC resume request message together with a new UL DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW.).
For claim 6, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein: the first timer is stopped upon at least one of a cell reselection initiated by the terminal device or the reception of the response to the indication (TAO, paragraph 193 teaches the UE may determine whether to stop the SDT failure detection timer and stop further monitoring the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI, based on an explicit indication signaled in the RRCRelease message. In other words, the RRCRelease message is the response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure.).
For claim 7, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the response comprises at least one of:
an RRCResume message;
an RRCSetup message;
an RRCRelease message;
an RRCReleasewith suspendConfig message; or
an RRCReject message (TAO, Fig. 5 step 504 and paragraph 102 teach in action 504, the NW may send an RRC release (with a suspendConfig or without the suspendConfig) message to keep the UE in the RRC_INACTIVE state or have the UE transition to the RRC_IDLE state. Alternatively, the NW may send an RRC resume message to have the UE transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state. Once the RRCRelease message (with the suspendConfig IE) is received, the UE may terminate the SDT procedure based on the RRCRelease message. In other words, the response is the RRCResume message).
For claim 9, TAO teaches a method implemented in a terminal device, comprising:
transmitting, to a network device, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.);
Tao further teaches monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer (TAO, paragraph 187 teaches upon transmitting the new DCCH message indicating the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during an SDT procedure, the UE may start/restart the SDT failure detection timer and monitor the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI for receiving the RRC message from the NW responding to the new DCCH message.); and
in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state (TAO, paragraph 205 teaches if the UE doesn't receive any further RRC message from the NW upon the expiry of the SDT failure detection timer, the UE may autonomously transition to the RRC_IDLE state, select/reselect a cell and camp on it, and perform an RRC connection establishment procedure with the NW).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO to have transmitting, to a network device, in a UE assistance information, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer; and in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state. Therefore, a more efficient and collision-free method allowing the UE to transmit these accumulated data is beneficial from both the UE's and NW's perspectives. [TAO: paragraph 131]).
SHAH further teaches start a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitor for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer (SHAH, Fig. 15 and paragraphs 245-264.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO with SHAH to have method of transmitting, to a network device, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; starting a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer; and in an instance in which the first timer expires without the terminal device receiving a response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state and/or transmitting a connection setup or resume request to the network device. Thereby enabling an efficient handling of the arrival of non-SDT DRB data during an SDT procedure. [SHAH: paragraph 288].
For claim 10, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of claim 9, wherein the non-SDT data comprises data available on a radio bearer not configured as allowed for SDT (TAO, Fig.8 paragraphs146 teaches the UE may transmit the RRC resume request message together with a new UL DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW.).
For claim 14, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of claim 9, wherein: the first timer is stopped upon at least one of a cell reselection initiated by the terminal device or the reception of the response to the indication (TAO, paragraph 193 teaches the UE may determine whether to stop the SDT failure detection timer and stop further monitoring the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI, based on an explicit indication signaled in the RRCRelease message. In other words, the RRCRelease message is the response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure.).
For claim 15, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of claim 9, wherein the response comprises at least one of:
an RRCResume message;
an RRCSetup message;
an RRCRelease message;
an RRCReleasewith suspendConfig message; or
an RRCReject message (TAO, Fig. 5 step 504 and paragraph 102 teach in action 504, the NW may send an RRC release (with a suspendConfig or without the suspendConfig) message to keep the UE in the RRC_INACTIVE state or have the UE transition to the RRC_IDLE state. Alternatively, the NW may send an RRC resume message to have the UE transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state. Once the RRCRelease message (with the suspendConfig IE) is received, the UE may terminate the SDT procedure based on the RRCRelease message. In other words, the response is the RRCResume message).
For claim 18, TAO teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed with at least one processor (TAO, Fig. 12), cause the at least one processor to perform at least the following:
transmitting, to a network device, in a UE assistance information, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.);
Tao further teaches monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer (TAO, paragraph 187 teaches upon transmitting the new DCCH message indicating the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during an SDT procedure, the UE may start/restart the SDT failure detection timer and monitor the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI for receiving the RRC message from the NW responding to the new DCCH message.); and
in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state (TAO, paragraph 205 teaches if the UE doesn't receive any further RRC message from the NW upon the expiry of the SDT failure detection timer, the UE may autonomously transition to the RRC_IDLE state, select/reselect a cell and camp on it, and perform an RRC connection establishment procedure with the NW).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO to have transmitting, to a network device, in a UE assistance information, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of a SDT failure timer; and in response to absence of the response to the indication of the non-SDT data, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state. Therefore, a more efficient and collision-free method allowing the UE to transmit these accumulated data is beneficial from both the UE's and NW's perspectives. [TAO: paragraph 131]).
SHAH further teaches start a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitor for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer (SHAH, Fig. 15 and paragraphs 245-264.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO with SHAH to have method of transmitting, to a network device, an indication of an availability of non-Small Data Transmission (SDT) data during a SDT procedure; starting a first timer upon transmitting the indication, wherein the first timer is dedicated for the transmission of the indication of the non-SDT data; monitoring for a response to the indication until expiration of the first timer; and in an instance in which the first timer expires without the terminal device receiving a response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure, performing an action comprising: entering an idle state and/or transmitting a connection setup or resume request to the network device. Thereby enabling an efficient handling of the arrival of non-SDT DRB data during an SDT procedure. [SHAH: paragraph 288].
For claim 19, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the non-SDT data comprises data available on a radio bearer not configured as allowed for SDT (TAO, Fig.8 paragraphs146 teaches the UE may transmit the RRC resume request message together with a new UL DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW.).
For claim 20, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein: the first timer is stopped upon at least one of a cell reselection initiated by the terminal device or the reception of the response to the indication (TAO, paragraph 193 teaches the UE may determine whether to stop the SDT failure detection timer and stop further monitoring the PDCCH addressed to a C-RNTI, a TEMPORARY_C-RNTI, a MSGB-RNTI, a CS-RNTI, and/or a UE-specific SDT-RNTI, based on an explicit indication signaled in the RRCRelease message. In other words, the RRCRelease message is the response to the indication of the availability of the non-SDT data during the SDT procedure.).
For claim 21, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium apparatus of claim 18, wherein the response comprises at least one of: an RRCResume message; an RRCSetup message; an RRCRelease mesage; an RRCReleasewith suspendConfig message; or an RRCReject message (TAO, Fig. 5 step 504 and paragraph 102 teach in action 504, the NW may send an RRC release (with a suspendConfig or without the suspendConfig) message to keep the UE in the RRC_INACTIVE state or have the UE transition to the RRC_IDLE state. Alternatively, the NW may send an RRC resume message to have the UE transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state. Once the RRCRelease message (with the suspendConfig IE) is received, the UE may terminate the SDT procedure based on the RRCRelease message. In other words, the response is the RRCResume message).
For claim 22, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: stop a SDT failure time upon one of: transmitting the indication and starting the first timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 23, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: stop a SDT failure time upon transmitting the indication if the SDT failure time has less than a threshold time span until expiration (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 24, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of clam 1, wherein an expiry time of the first timer is less than an expiry time of a SDT failure timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 25, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the indication is transmitted in at least one of: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling; Physical Layer (PHY) signaling; or user equipment (UE) assistant information (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.).
For claim 26, TAO and SHAH further teach the terminal device of claim 1, wherein the terminal device is further caused to: stop a SDT failure time upon one of: transmitting the indication and starting the first timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 27, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of claim 9, further comprising: stopping a SDT failure time upon transmitting the indication if the SDT failure time has less than a threshold time span until expiration (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 28, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of clam 9, wherein an expiry time of the first timer is less than an expiry time of a SDT failure timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 29, TAO and SHAH further teach the method of claim 9, wherein the indication is transmitted in at least one of: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling; Physical Layer (PHY) signaling; or user equipment (UE) assistant information (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.).
For claim 30, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed on at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to perform: stopping a SDT failure time upon one of: transmitting the indication and starting the first timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 31, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed on at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to perform: stopping a SDT failure time upon transmitting the indication if the SDT failure time has less than a threshold time span until expiration (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 32, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of clam 18, wherein an expiry time of the first timer is less than an expiry time of a SDT failure timer (TAO, Fig. 4 and paragraphs 94-95.).
For claim 34, TAO and SHAH further teach the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the indication is transmitted in at least one of: a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message; Medium Access Control (MAC) signaling; Physical Layer (PHY) signaling; or user equipment (UE) assistant information (TAO, Fig.8 step 804a and paragraphs143-148 teach the UE sends the RRC resume request message together with a new DCCH message that is used to inform/report the data arrival from the non-SDT DRB/SRB during the SDT procedure as the first UL message of the SDT procedure in the MSG3 grant scheduled by the NW. wherein the DCCH message can be UEAssistanceInformation. See also abstract.).
14. Claims 5, 13 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MING-HUNG TAO et al. (US 2023/0080733 A1), hereinafter TAO, in view of Rikin SHAH et al. (US 2024/0196444 A1), hereinafter SHAH, and Keiichi Kubota et al. (US 20160219458 A1), hereinafter Kubota.
For claim 5, TAO and SHAH teach all the limitations of parent claim 1. TAO and SHAH do not explicitly teach retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS).
However, Kubota explicitly teaches retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) (Kubota, paragraph 113 teaches the first device may also set a retransmit timer to retransmit the indication if an acknowledgment is not received prior to the expiration of the retransmit timer.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO and SHAH with retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) taught in Kubota in order to better optimize performance [Kubota: paragraph 92].
For claim 13, TAO and SHAH teach all the limitations of parent claim 9. TAO and SHAH do not explicitly teach retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS).
However, Kubota explicitly teaches retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) (Kubota, paragraph 113 teaches the first device may also set a retransmit timer to retransmit the indication if an acknowledgment is not received prior to the expiration of the retransmit timer.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO and SHAH with retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) taught in Kubota in order to better optimize performance [Kubota: paragraph 92].
For claim 33, TAO and SHAH teach all the limitations of parent claim 18. TAO and SHAH do not explicitly teach retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS).
However, Kubota explicitly teaches retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) (Kubota, paragraph 113 teaches the first device may also set a retransmit timer to retransmit the indication if an acknowledgment is not received prior to the expiration of the retransmit timer.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method taught in TAO and SHAH with retransmit the indication upon expiration of a timer; or retransmit the indication based on an indication from Non-Access Stratum (NAS) taught in Kubota in order to better optimize performance [Kubota: paragraph 92].
Response to Arguments
15. Applicant's arguments filed 12/24/2025 have been fully considered but they are moot because of the new ground of rejection.
Conclusion
16. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILL W LIN whose telephone number is (571)272-8749. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Jiang can be reached at 571-270-7191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WILL W LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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