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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 11 July 2024.
Claims 1-20 are under examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12 June 2026 and 31 October 2025 and 15 July 2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-3, 5-10, 12-16, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Qi et al. (US Publication 2024/0040441 A1).
With respect to claims 1 and 14, Qi teaches A first node for wireless communications, comprising:
a first receiver, receiving a first message, the first message indicating entering RRC_Inactive state; (receiving RRC Release message and RRC release indicates RRC inactive state, paragraph 92) and
a first processor, determining whether any condition in a first condition set is satisfied in RRC_Inactive state; (The UE shall perform ranking R criterion for each cell that fulfills the cell selection criteria S. The UE re-selects a new cell when the new cell is better than the serving cell according to the cell reselection ranking during a time interval and more than another interval has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, Paragraph 77. RSRP measurement quantity used in cell re-selections for current serving cell and neighboring cells, paragraph 79. The cell ranking is in RRC inactive State, Paragraph 92) and performing a first action as a response to that any condition in the first condition set is satisfied; (If the re-selected cell does not belong to the configured area information, UE initiates the RRC Resume procedure, to resume to RRC_CONNECTED state. UE may carry an indication to network to cause initiation of the RRC Resume procedure. In this example, the cause value is “to continue MBS reception”, or “failure of MBS reception.”, Paragraph 93)
wherein the first message indicates at least one radio bearer, (the configuration may include bearer configuration, allocated physical layer identification, or time and frequency domain information, Paragraph 85. The configuration information described above may be part of dedicated signaling, include an RRC Release message, paragraph 90) and the first message is used to determine whether the first action is entering RRC_Idle state or transmitting a second message, the second message being an RRC signaling; (If the re-selected cell does not belong to the configured area information, UE initiates the RRC Resume procedure, to resume to RRC_CONNECTED state. UE may carry an indication to network to cause initiation of the RRC Resume procedure. In this example, the cause value is “to continue MBS reception”, or “failure of MBS reception.”, Paragraph 93)
the first condition set includes at least a first condition, and at least a channel quality of a first cell being worse than a specific threshold is used to determine whether the first condition is satisfied, the first cell being a serving cell of the first node. (The UE shall perform ranking R criterion for each cell that fulfills the cell selection criteria S. The UE re-selects a new cell when the new cell is better than the serving cell according to the cell reselection ranking during a time interval and more than another interval has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, Paragraph 77. RSRP measurement quantity used in cell re-selections for current serving cell and neighboring cells, paragraph 79. The cell ranking is in RRC inactive State, Paragraph 92)
With respect to claims 2, 9, and 15, Qi teaches characterized in that the at least one radio bearer is in active state. (UE maintains all the radio bearers associated with the interested or already receiving MBS services at a cell change, paragraph 99)
With respect to claims 3, 10, and 16, Qi teaches characterized in that a channel quality of a second cell is used to determine whether the first condition is satisfied; when the channel quality of the first cell is worse than the specific threshold and the channel quality of the second cell is better than a second threshold, it is determined that the first condition is satisfied; wherein the second cell is a neighboring cell of the first cell. (The UE shall perform ranking R criterion for each cell that fulfills the cell selection criteria S. The UE re-selects a new cell when the new cell is better than the serving cell according to the cell reselection ranking during a time interval and more than another interval has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, Paragraph 77. RSRP measurement quantity used in cell re-selections for current serving cell and neighboring cells, paragraph 79)
With respect to claims 5, 12, and 18, Qi teaches characterized in that the first message is used to determine whether the first action is entering RRC_Idle state or transmitting a second message, comprising: when the at least one radio bearer indicated by the first message includes a multicast MRB, the first action being transmitting the second message. (a first UE (UE1) is interested in a first multicast service (MBS1), and is configured in the RRC Release message with the MBS configuration which further includes with cell identified by PCI0 on current frequency f0; PCI1 on carrier frequency f1, and PCI2/PCI3 on carrier frequency f2. UE continues the MBS1 reception in RRC_INAVTIVE in mobility. In the cell re-selection procedure, f0, f1, and f2 are all considered of the highest priority during the frequency priority handling. The cell ranking described above applies to this embodiment. During the cell ranking procedure, for cells identified by PCI0, PCI1, PCI2, and PCI3, the ranking is added with an offset value configured by the network (along with above configuration or in separate configurations) to ensure service continuity of MBS1, paragraph 92)
With respect to claims 6, 12 and 19, Qi teaches characterized in that the second message is used to request resumption of an RRC connection. (UE initiates the RRC Resume procedure, to resume to RRC_CONNECTED state, paragraph 93)
With respect to claims 7 and 20, Qi teaches characterized in comprising: the first receiver, receiving a third message as a response to transmitting the second message, the third message being used to indicate entering RRC_Connected state. (The network may then initiate the UE context fetch from the UE's last serving basestation. The fetch may include the MBS context, and the RAN initiated MBS session establishment in the re-selected basestation, paragraph 93)
With respect to claim 8, Qi teaches A second node for wireless communications, comprising:
a second transmitter, transmitting a first message, the first message indicating entering RRC_Inactive state; (receiving RRC Release message and RRC release indicates RRC inactive state, paragraph 92) and
wherein a receiver of the first message determines whether any condition in a first condition set is satisfied in RRC_Inactive state; (The UE shall perform ranking R criterion for each cell that fulfills the cell selection criteria S. The UE re-selects a new cell when the new cell is better than the serving cell according to the cell reselection ranking during a time interval and more than another interval has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, Paragraph 77. RSRP measurement quantity used in cell re-selections for current serving cell and neighboring cells, paragraph 79. The cell ranking is in RRC inactive State, Paragraph 92) and as a response to that any condition in the first condition set is satisfied, a first action is performed at the receiver of the first message; (If the re-selected cell does not belong to the configured area information, UE initiates the RRC Resume procedure, to resume to RRC_CONNECTED state. UE may carry an indication to network to cause initiation of the RRC Resume procedure. In this example, the cause value is “to continue MBS reception”, or “failure of MBS reception.”, Paragraph 93)
wherein the first message indicates at least one radio bearer, (the configuration may include bearer configuration, allocated physical layer identification, or time and frequency domain information, Paragraph 85. The configuration information described above may be part of dedicated signaling, include an RRC Release message, paragraph 90) and the first message is used to determine whether the first action is entering RRC_Idle state or transmitting a second message, the second message being an RRC signaling; (If the re-selected cell does not belong to the configured area information, UE initiates the RRC Resume procedure, to resume to RRC_CONNECTED state. UE may carry an indication to network to cause initiation of the RRC Resume procedure. In this example, the cause value is “to continue MBS reception”, or “failure of MBS reception.”, Paragraph 93)
the first condition set includes at least a first condition, and at least a channel quality of a first cell being worse than a specific threshold is used to determine whether the first condition is satisfied, the first cell being a serving cell of the receiver of the first message. (The UE shall perform ranking R criterion for each cell that fulfills the cell selection criteria S. The UE re-selects a new cell when the new cell is better than the serving cell according to the cell reselection ranking during a time interval and more than another interval has elapsed since the UE camped on the current serving cell, Paragraph 77. RSRP measurement quantity used in cell re-selections for current serving cell and neighboring cells, paragraph 79. The cell ranking is in RRC inactive State, Paragraph 92)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 4, 11 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qi et al. (US Publication 2024/0040441A1) in view of Dai et al. (US Publication 2025/0071850).
With respect to claims 4, 11 and 17, Qi doesn’t teach characterized in that the first message is used to determine whether the first action is entering RRC_Idle state or transmitting a second message, comprising: when the at least one radio bearer indicated by the first message does not include a multicast MRB, the first action being entering RRC_Idle state from RRC_Inactive state.
Dai teaches characterized in that the first message is used to determine whether the first action is entering RRC_Idle state or transmitting a second message, comprising: when the at least one radio bearer indicated by the first message does not include a multicast MRB, the first action being entering RRC_Idle state from RRC_Inactive state. (when the UE in a RRC non-connected state reselects a cell where MRB configuration for multicast reception in RRC non-connected state is not provided, the UE will try to enter the RRC connected state to receive multicast. For example, when the UE in RRC_INACTIVE state reselects a cell where MRB configuration for multicast reception in RRC non-connected state is not provided, the UE will initialize a RRC connection resume procedure to enter the RRC connected state. In some other embodiments, if the UE cannot reselect a cell whose MRB configuration for multicast reception in RRC non-connected state is not provided for the UE, the UE may directly enter the RRC idle state, Paragraph 82)
Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement the method of Qi with when the at least one radio bearer indicated by the first message does not include a multicast MRB, the first action being entering RRC_Idle state from RRC_Inactive state as taught by Dai. The motivation for combining Qi and Dai is to be able to maintain MBS reception during mobility and to reduce service interruption.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Zhou et al. (US Publication 2023/0224982) discloses a terminal device sends a first message to an access network device, where the first message requests the access network device to set up a first radio bearer, and the first radio bearer carries computing data. The terminal device receives a second message sent by the access network device, and sets up the first radio bearer based on radio bearer configuration information carried in the second message
Zhang et al. (US publication 2019/0342832) discloses sending, by a terminal in an RRC inactive state, first information to a first access network device, where the first information is used to indicate that the terminal is located in a wireless network area in which the terminal is in the RRC inactive state, and the first access network device is an access network device to which a cell in which the terminal is currently located belongs; receiving, by the terminal, a first message sent by the first access network device; and remaining, by the terminal, in the RRC inactive state based on the first message, or entering an idle state from the RRC inactive state based on the first message. According to the technical solutions of this application, performance of a communications system can be improved.
Any inquiry concerning this communication from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAHI AHMED whose telephone number is (571) 270-3652. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00AM-4:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khalid Kassim can be reached on 571-270-3370. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAHI AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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