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
Claims 1-20 received on 6/26/2024 have been examined, of which claims 1 and 11 are independent.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Specification, para [0001] indicates two US patent application number as xx/xxx,xxx. The examiner requests the applicant to indicate valid application number.
Appropriate correction is 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 1-20 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 1 recites “one or more processors of a set of network devices”, followed by “the processor for each network device”. It is unclear, in the instant of “one processor of a set of network devices”, which device includes the processor. Further, it is unclear if each network device are from the set of network devices or different. In view of claim 11, the examiner suggests to amend as “each network device of the set of network devices comprise a processor”. Dependent claims are rejected for same reasons.
Further, claims 1 and 11 recite the limitation of inputting contention parameters into the computer program product. However, in broadest reasonable interpretation, the claim does not limit selection of opportunity, computing of slots or scheduling based on the contention parameters. It is unclear how the contention parameters or inputting the contention parameters are related to the selection, computing or scheduling functionalities. Claims 4-7, 9-10, 14-17 further limit input specific parameter when the processor inputs contention parameters, and claim 8-10, 18-20 recite to generate schedule size, generate seed and setting seed respectively. The claims do not further clarify how the parameters are related to performing other steps, or if the schedule size or seed is generated based on parameter or they are input parameters. Dependent claims are rejected for same reasons.
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 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.
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 1-8, 11-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20210378020) in view of Sadek et al. (US 20170064729)
Regarding claim 1, Wang teaches a computer program product (para 127: computer program product) including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoded with instructions (para 33, 127-128: the computer instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium; memory, fig 11) that, when executed by one or more processors of a set of network devices of a transmission system (processor in network device of fig 11; fig 2 terminal devices and network device), cause a process to schedule at least one set of communication slots based on selected opportunities (abstract: determining one or more transmission opportunities based on one or more of a configuration message of a network device, a capability of the UE, and a preset rule set; and sending, by the UE, the random access message on one or more valid transmission opportunities in the one or more transmission opportunities), the instructions comprising:
execute, by the processor of each network device, a second step that instructs the processor to select whether the at least one set of communication slots relates to a set of transmission opportunities or a set of response opportunities (abstract: determining one or more transmission opportunities; para 28: the Q first PUSCH transmission opportunities or the Q second PUSCH transmission opportunities are Q PUSCH transmission opportunities that are consecutive in frequency or time and that are associated with a same downlink signal, the time unit may be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a slot, a subframe, or the like; the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts);
execute, by the processor of each network device, a third step that instructs the processor to compute a number of communication slots that defines the at least one set of communication slots (para 28: the measurement result is M time units, time unit is slot, and the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts); and
execute, by the processor of each network device, a fourth step that instructs the processor to schedule the at least one set of communication slots based on the selected opportunities (steps 303 and 3051, fig 3; para 69: the one or more first transmission opportunities may form a set, and the UE may select, from the set, a transmission opportunity for actually sending the random access message, the method may further include S3051: the UE sends the random access message on the one or more first transmission opportunities).
Wang teaches the selection of transmission opportunities based on configuration message and preset rules, wherein the preset rules include one or more association parameters between a downlink signal and a transmission opportunity. However, the reference does not teach to input set of contention parameters. Sadek is directed to scheduling a plurality of access terminals for transmission on a communication medium (para 15).
Sadek further teaches to execute, by the processor of each network device, a first step that instructs the processor (processors 1242 and 1262, fig 12) to input a set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59: contention may be performed by each of the access terminals 120, 220, and 222 autonomously, with the access point 110 promoting fairness (e.g., proportional fairness) by adjusting their respective contention parameters, the access point 110 may prioritize the access terminal 120 over the other access terminals 220 and 222 with respect to contending for access to the communication medium 140 at a particular time by assigning the access terminal 120 a set of one or more contention parameters 550 that define a reduced variable space (e.g., as bounded by a number q) for a randomly selected contention window size N). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 11, Wang teaches a method of scheduling at least one set of communication slots based on selected opportunities (abstract: the method includes determining one or more transmission opportunities based on one or more of a configuration message of a network device, a capability of the UE, and a preset rule set), the method comprising the steps of:
installing a computer program product (para 127: computer program product) with a set of network devices of a transmission system (fig 2 terminal devices and network device), wherein each network device of the set of network devices of the transmission system (terminals and network device, fig 2) comprises at least:
a processor (processor, fig 9 and 11); and
a computer readable medium that is accessible by the processor (memory, fig 9 and 11) and stores the computer program product (para 33, 127-128: the computer instruction may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium; memory, fig 9, 11);
wherein when the computer program product is executed by the processor of each network device of the set of network devices of the transmission system (para 119: the processor is configured to read and execute a program in the memory; para 112), each processor is caused to:
select whether the at least one set of communication slots relates to a set of transmission opportunities or a set of response opportunities (abstract: determining one or more transmission opportunities; para 28: the Q first PUSCH transmission opportunities or the Q second PUSCH transmission opportunities are Q PUSCH transmission opportunities that are consecutive in frequency or time and that are associated with a same downlink signal, the time unit may be an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol, a slot, a subframe, or the like; the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts);
compute a number of communication slots that defines the at least one set of communication slots (para 28: the measurement result is M time units, time unit is slot, and the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts); and
schedule the at least one set of communication slots based on the selected opportunities (steps 303 and 3051, fig 3; para 69: the one or more first transmission opportunities may form a set, and the UE may select, from the set, a transmission opportunity for actually sending the random access message, the method may further include S3051: the UE sends the random access message on the one or more first transmission opportunities).
Wang teaches the selection of transmission opportunities based on configuration message and preset rules, wherein the preset rules include one or more association parameters between a downlink signal and a transmission opportunity. However, the reference does not teach to input set of contention parameters. Sadek is directed to scheduling a plurality of access terminals for transmission on a communication medium (para 15).
Sadek further teaches to input a set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59: contention may be performed by each of the access terminals 120, 220, and 222 autonomously, with the access point 110 promoting fairness (e.g., proportional fairness) by adjusting their respective contention parameters, the access point 110 may prioritize the access terminal 120 over the other access terminals 220 and 222 with respect to contending for access to the communication medium 140 at a particular time by assigning the access terminal 120 a set of one or more contention parameters 550 that define a reduced variable space (e.g., as bounded by a number q) for a randomly selected contention window size N). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 2 and 12, Wang further teaches wherein when the selected opportunities includes the set of transmission opportunities (fig 3, S303; para 69: the UE selects one or more first transmission opportunities (based on, for example, the one or more association parameters between a downlink signal and a transmission opportunity that are in the configuration information)), and wherein the instructions further comprise:
execute, by the processor of each network device, a fifth step that instructs the processor to select that at least another set of communication slots relates to the set of response opportunities (fig 3, S304; para 70: the UE selects one or more second transmission opportunities based on the configuration information and a second preset rule);
execute, by the processor of each network device, a sixth step that instructs the processor to compute another number of communication slots that defines the at least another set of communication slots (para 28: the measurement result is M time units, time unit is slot, and the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts); and
execute, by the processor of each network device, a seventh step that instructs the processor to schedule the at least another set of communication slots based on the set of response opportunities (steps 304 and 3052, fig 3; para 70: the one or more second transmission opportunities are used to send the first random access message or the second random access message, the method may further include S3052: the UE sends the random access message on the one or more second transmission opportunities).
Regarding claim 3 and 13, Wang further teaches wherein when the selected opportunities includes the set of response opportunities (fig 3, S303; para 69: the UE selects one or more first transmission opportunities (based on, for example, the one or more association parameters between a downlink signal and a transmission opportunity that are in the configuration information)), and wherein the instructions further comprise:
execute, by the processor of each network device, a fifth step that instructs the processor to select that at least another set of communication slots relates to the set of transmission opportunities (fig 3, S304; para 70: the UE selects one or more second transmission opportunities based on the configuration information and a second preset rule);
execute, by the processor of each network device, a sixth step that instructs the processor to compute another number of communication slots that defines the at least another set of communication slots (para 28: the measurement result is M time units, time unit is slot, and the Q consecutive opportunities may be considered as one transmission opportunity, and are formed by Q parts); and
execute, by the processor of each network device, a seventh step that instructs the processor to schedule the at least another set of communication slots based on the set of transmission opportunities (steps 304 and 3052, fig 3; para 70: the one or more second transmission opportunities are used to send the first random access message or the second random access message, the method may further include S3052: the UE sends the random access message on the one or more second transmission opportunities).
Regarding claim 4 and 14, Wang fails to teach, but Sadek further teaches wherein when the processor inputs the set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59), and wherein the instructions further comprise: execute, by the processor of each network device (processors 1242 and 1262, fig 12), to input a minimum number of transmit slots in each transmission opportunity of the set of transmission opportunities (para 84: the one or more contention parameters may comprise a contention window size, with the setting (block 1104) comprising setting a longer contention window for a smaller number of access terminals being scheduled and a shorter contention window for a larger number of access terminals being scheduled, the setting (block 1104) may comprise at least one of: selecting the contention window size directly, selecting a variable space associated with randomly selecting the contention window size, or selecting a minimum value associated with the contention window size; fig 7 and para 67 describe short and long contention window with respect to number of D/U/S subframes/time slots). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 5 and 15, Wang fails to teach, but Sadek further teaches wherein when the processor inputs the set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59), and wherein the instructions further comprise: execute, by the processor of each network device (processors 1242 and 1262, fig 12), to input a minimum number of reception slots in each response opportunity of the set of response opportunities (para 84: the one or more contention parameters may comprise a contention window size, with the setting (block 1104) comprising setting a longer contention window for a smaller number of access terminals being scheduled and a shorter contention window for a larger number of access terminals being scheduled, the setting (block 1104) may comprise at least one of: selecting the contention window size directly, selecting a variable space associated with randomly selecting the contention window size, or selecting a minimum value associated with the contention window size; fig 6 shows contention window with respect to number of D subframes/ time slots). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 6 and 16, Wang fails to teach, but Sadek further teaches wherein when the processor inputs the set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59), and wherein the instructions further comprise: execute, by the processor of each network device (processors 1242 and 1262, fig 12), to input a maximum variance number of transmit slots in each transmission opportunity of the set of transmission opportunities (para 59: assigning the access terminal 120 a set of one or more contention parameters 550 that define a reduced variable space (e.g., as bounded by a number q) for a randomly selected contention window size N (e.g., N as a random number between [1 . . , q]); here, q is the maximum variance number for the contention window size to vary in size). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 7 and 17, Wang fails to teach, but Sadek further teaches wherein when the processor inputs the set of contention parameters into the computer program product (para 15: setting one or more contention parameters for an access point to contend for access to the communication medium based on the number of access terminals being scheduled; para 59), and wherein the instructions further comprise: execute, by the processor of each network device (processors 1242 and 1262, fig 12), to input a maximum variance number of reception slots in each response opportunity of the set of response opportunities (para 59: assigning the access terminal 120 a set of one or more contention parameters 550 that define a reduced variable space (e.g., as bounded by a number q) for a randomly selected contention window size N (e.g., N as a random number between [1 . . , q]); here, q is the maximum variance number for the contention window size to vary in size). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities based on configuration and rules as taught by Wang with setting contention parameters for access terminals for shared communication medium as taught by Sadek for the benefit of improving scheduling efficiency and proportional fairness during the contention process as taught by Sadek in para 35.
Regarding claim 8 and 18, Wang further teaches to execute, by the processor of each network device, to generate a schedule size (fig 3; para 102: sending, by the UE, the first random access message to the network device on the plurality of first transmission opportunities, where the plurality of first transmission opportunities include P first PRACH transmission opportunities and Q first PUSCH transmission opportunities, the Q first PUSCH transmission opportunities are determined based on one or more of the configured PUSCH payload, if the configured PUSCH threshold is greater than the to-be-sent PUSCH payload, then the Q first PUSCH transmission opportunities are Q PUSCH transmission opportunities that are consecutive in frequency or time and that are associated with a same downlink signal).
Claims 9-10, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang (US 20210378020) in view of Sadek et al. (US 20170064729) in further view of Hahn et al. (US 20180343249)
Regarding claim 9 and 19, Wang in view of Sadek teaches the limitations of parent claim. The references do not teach generating of the seed that includes common key and identifier. Hahn is directed to authenticating UE between heterogeneous networks.
Hahn further teaches to generate a seed (para 24: generating a second seed key) for an assigned period of time (para 112: the AP may store context of the corresponding UE for a predetermined period of time, but when the predetermined period of time expires, the AP deletes the context of the corresponding UE); wherein the seed includes at least a common key and a node identifier (para 24: generating a second seed key for generating a security key used in the second network based on the first base key and a second network identifier for identifying the second network). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities as taught by Wang and Sadek with generating seed as taught by Hahn for the benefit of minimizing delay required for providing a service as taught by Hahn in para 117.
Regarding claim 10 and 20, Wang in view of Sadek fails to teach, but Hahn further teaches to set the seed (para 24: performing a session path updating procedure for verifying validity of the second seed key with a third network node performing a security anchor function of the core network). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine determining transmission opportunities as taught by Wang and Sadek with generating seed as taught by Hahn for the benefit of minimizing delay required for providing a service as taught by Hahn in para 117.
Conclusion
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/RINA C PANCHOLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 7/22/2026
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