DETAILED ACTION
This Office action is a response to Preliminary Amendment made an Application No. 18/729,146 filed on 07/15/2024 in which claims 1-15 are canceled and new claims 16-35 are added. Accordingly, Claims 16-35 are currently pending for examination.
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 .
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.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 07/15/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Examiner has considered the reference(s) listed on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 07/15/2024.
Claim Objections
Claims 19-20, 24-25, 29-30, and 34-35 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 19, 24, 29, and 34 recites the limitation “in case” respectively. Language that suggests or makes optional or intended use/result (i.e., in case) but does not require step to be performed or does not limit the scope of the claim to a particular structure or does not limit the scope of a claim or claim limitation(s). Such clauses may render parts of the claim(s) optional (see MPEP 2106 and 2111.04).
Claims 20, 25, 30, and 35 recites acronyms such as “TDM and G-RNTIs” respectively. For clarity, it is suggested to spell out the specified acronyms in at least the first time it is mentioned in the claim.
Claims 20, 25, 30, and 35 recites the limitation “applicable” respectively. Language that suggests or makes optional or intended use/result (i.e., applicable) but does not require step to be performed or does not limit the scope of the claim to a particular structure or does not limit the scope of a claim or claim limitation(s). Such clauses may render parts of the claim(s) optional (see MPEP 2106 and 2111.04).
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 16-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 16 recites “receiving, from the terminal, a second message including second information for the multicast reception in the RRC inactive state” in line 6-7 while the preamble recite a method performed by a terminal in line 1. It is unclear how it is possible for a terminal to receive the message sent by itself. Thus, the claim is indefinite. For the purpose of examination, Examiner will interpret as best understood.
Claim 21 recites “receive, from the terminal via the transceiver, a second message including second information for the multicast reception in the RRC inactive state” in line 7-8 while the preamble recite a terminal in line 1. It is unclear how it is possible for a terminal to receive the message sent by itself. Thus, the claim is indefinite. For the purpose of examination, Examiner will interpret as best understood.
Claims 17-20 and 22-25 are also rejected for the same reasoning as being indefinite set forth in above because they are dependent upon the rejected claims 16 and 21 respectively.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 16-18, 21-23, 26-28, and 31-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dai et al. (US 2025/0071850 A1) hereinafter “Dai”.
Regarding claims 16 and 21, Dai discloses Claim 1 of a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system (see FIG. 8; see ¶ [0034] [0084], UE), and Claim 21 of a terminal in a wireless communication system, the terminal comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor (see FIG. 8; see ¶ [0084], UE includes at least one processor, at least one receiving circuitry and at least one transmitting circuitry), the method comprising:
transmitting, to a base station, a first message including first information indicating whether the terminal supports a multicast reception in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0056], in step 401, a UE may report its capability of supporting multicast reception, e.g., capability of supporting multicast reception in RRC non-connected state. The capability of supporting multicast reception, e.g., capability of supporting multicast reception in RRC non-connected state may be reported per frequency or per carrier or per frequency band);
receiving, from the terminal, a second message including second information for the multicast reception in the RRC inactive state (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0058], the network side may release the UE from the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state in step 405. For example, when network congestion happens, the network side, e.g., a gNB may release (or send) the UE (which is receiving multicast or is to receive multicast) in the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state, e.g., to the RRC_INACTIVE state by a RRCRelease message, and configure the UE to continue receiving the multicast in the RRC_INACTIVE state with the MRB configuration information for multicast reception in RRC connected state. That is, the first MRB configuration information will be continuously used in the RRC non-connected state); and
receiving a multicast broadcast service (MBS) data in the RRC inactive state based on the first information and the second information (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0059], the UE will continue using the first MRB configuration information for multicast reception in the RRC non-connected state in step 407).
Regarding claims 17, 22, 27, and 32, Dai discloses wherein the first information is included in a user equipment (UE) capability information element (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0056], in step 401, a UE may report its capability of supporting multicast reception, e.g., capability of supporting multicast reception in RRC non-connected state).
Regarding claims 18, 23, 28, and 33, Dai discloses wherein the second information is included information on suspend configuration included in an RRC release message (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0058], the network side may release the UE from the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state in step 405. For example, when network congestion happens, the network side, e.g., a gNB may release (or send) the UE (which is receiving multicast or is to receive multicast) in the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state, e.g., to the RRC_INACTIVE state by a RRCRelease message).
Regarding claims 26 and 31, Dai discloses Claim 26 of a method performed by a base station in a wireless communication system (see FIG. 8; see ¶ [0034] [0084], a network apparatus/base station), and Claim 31 of a base station in a wireless communication system, the base station comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor (see FIG. 8; see ¶ [0084], the network apparatus includes at least one processor, at least one receiving circuitry and at least one transmitting circuitry), the method comprising:
receiving, from a terminal, a first message including first information indicating whether the terminal supports a multicast reception in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0056], in step 401, a UE may report its capability of supporting multicast reception, e.g., capability of supporting multicast reception in RRC non-connected state. The capability of supporting multicast reception, e.g., capability of supporting multicast reception in RRC non-connected state may be reported per frequency or per carrier or per frequency band);
transmitting, to the terminal, a second message including second information for the multicast reception in the RRC inactive state (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0058], the network side may release the UE from the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state in step 405. For example, when network congestion happens, the network side, e.g., a gNB may release (or send) the UE (which is receiving multicast or is to receive multicast) in the RRC connected state to the RRC non-connected state, e.g., to the RRC_INACTIVE state by a RRCRelease message, and configure the UE to continue receiving the multicast in the RRC_INACTIVE state with the MRB configuration information for multicast reception in RRC connected state. That is, the first MRB configuration information will be continuously used in the RRC non-connected state); and
transmitting, to the terminal in the RRC inactive state, a multicast broadcast service (MBS) data based on the first information and the second information (see FIG. 4 and 5; see ¶ [0059], the UE will continue using the first MRB configuration information for multicast reception in the RRC non-connected state in step 407).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
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 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.
Claims 19-20, 24-25, 29-30, and 34-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dai in view of BABAEI (US 2023/0361926 A1) hereinafter “Babaei”.
Regarding claims 19, 24, 29, and 34, Dai does not explicitly disclose receiving, from the base station, third information indicating whether the terminal supports receiving retransmission.
However, Babaei discloses receiving, from the base station, third information indicating whether the terminal supports receiving retransmission, in case that the MBS data is received in the RRC inactive state (see ¶ [0154], HARQ feedback from UE's in RRC Idle/Inactive may be supported; for MBS HARQ, the RAN may configure UEs in RRC Idle or Inactive to send the HARQ feedback without retuning to RRC Connected state).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide receiving, from the base station, third information indicating whether the terminal supports receiving retransmission as taught by Babaei, in the system of Dai, so that it would provide improve reliability for receiving Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) services (Babaei: see ¶ [0145]).
Regarding claims 20, 25, 30, and 35, Dai discloses receiving the MBS data in the RRC inactive state (see ¶ [0059], the UE will continue using the first MRB configuration information for multicast reception in the RRC non-connected state), but does not explicitly disclose information associated with a number of G-RNTIs.
However, Babaei discloses receiving, from the base station, at least one of seventh information associated with a number of G-RNTIs for receiving the MBS data in the RRC inactive state (see ¶ [0126] [0129], an information element (IE) may provide configuration parameters indicating, for example, the list of ongoing MBS sessions transmitted via one or more bearers for each MBS session, one or more associated RNTIs (e.g., G-RNTIs) and scheduling information; see ¶ [0195], a UE in a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state or an RRC idle state may receive a multicast broadcast services (MBS) transport block).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to provide information associated with a number of G-RNTIs as taught by Babaei, in the system of Dai, so that it would provide improve reliability for receiving Multicast and Broadcast Service (MBS) services (Babaei: see ¶ [0145]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
FUJISHIRO et al. (US 2024/0179798 A1) teaches a communication method according to a first aspect is a communication method used in a mobile communication system supporting a multicast broadcast service (MBS) and includes transmitting, at a user equipment performing MBS reception or being interested in the MBS reception in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state, an RRC message to a base station (see Abstract).
JIANG (US 2024/0373496 A1) teaches a method for receiving a multicast broadcast service (MBS), performed by a user equipment, includes: receiving configuration indication information for indicating MBS reception configuration information from a network side equipment; and receiving MBS data transmitted by a multicast manner, based on the MBS reception configuration information, in a radio resource control (RRC) idle state or an RRC inactive state (see Abstract).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7241. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yemane Mesfin can be reached at (571) 272-3927. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2462
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