DEAILED ACTION
The Office Action is in response to Response to Election 08/10/2026. Application 18806596 filed on 08/15/2024. Applicant elects without traverse the following: invention I including claims 1-7. Applicant withdraws claims 8-20 (cancelled). The Applicant presents new claims 21-32. claims 1-7 and 21-32 will be pending in this
Application.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
3. 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 § 112
4. 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.
5. Claim 1 and its dependent claims 2-7 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.
For claim 1, it recites limitations of “a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” in “performing, with a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer, control plane signaling with a second snCP layer, the second snCP layer associated with a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN), wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN)”; However, it is not clear whether the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN) like the second snCP layer; or the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with something else; if the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with something else, then which one the first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer is associated with?
it recites limitations of “data” in “and processing, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN”; However, it is not clear which one is the destination of “the data received from the RAN “ and which one is the sender of “the data transmitted to the RAN”; is it the node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN)? The MN? or something else ?
Thus the scope of the claim and its dependent claim 2-7 are unclear.
6. Claim 21 and its dependent claims 22-27 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.
For claim 21, it recites limitations of “a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” in “perform, with a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer, control plane signaling with a second snCP layer using the interface circuitry, the second snCP layer associated with a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN), wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN)”; However, it is not clear whether the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN) like the second snCP layer; or the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with something else; if the “first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer” is associated with something else, then which one the first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer is associated with?
it recites limitations of “data” in “and process, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN”; However, it is not clear which one is the destination of “the data received from the RAN “ and which one is the sender of “the data transmitted to the RAN”; is it the node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN)? The MN? or something else ?
Thus the scope of the claim and its dependent claim 22-27 are unclear.
7. Claim 28 and its dependent claims 29-32 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.
For claim 28, it recites limitations of “data” in “and processing, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN”; However, it is not clear whether which one is the destination of “the data received from the RAN “ and which one is the sender of “the data transmitted to the RAN”; is it the UE? The MN or something else ?
Thus the scope of the claim and its dependent claim 29-32 are unclear.
8. Claim 2 and its dependent claim 3 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.
For claim 2, it recites limitations of “the node” in “wherein the node is the MN”; However, it is not clear whether “the node” refer to “a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN)” or “a management node (MN)” in “wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN)” recited in independent claim 1.
Thus the scope of the claim and its dependent claim 3 are unclear.
9.. Claim 4 and its dependent claim 5-6 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.
For claim 4, it recites limitations of “the node” in “offloading a sublayer of a network control plane (nwCP) layer to the node”; However, it is not clear whether “the node” refer to “a node of a subnetwork that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN)” or “a management node (MN)” in “wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN)” recited in independent claim 1.
Thus the scope of the claim and its dependent claim 5-6 are unclear.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
10. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
11. Claims 1-3, 7, 21-23, 27-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by DIAO et al. (CN 100473196).
Regarding claim 1, DIAO teaches a method (fig. 6) comprising:
performing, with a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer (fig. 6, component 106, 107 and 108; page 25, … the information provided to access integrated control unit 106. load condition of different base station access integrated control unit 106), control plane signaling (as shown in fig. 6; page 12, … transmitting the transmitting base station code signal) with a second snCP layer (fig. 6, component 113; page 24, mobile communication broadband wireless support layer 113 layer 114 by pointing the time width of the instruction, sends specified order of cell breathing, sends appointed instruction of on which downlink time slot distributing form and so on), the second snCP layer associated with a node (fig. 6, component 124) of a subnetwork (fig. 6, 102; page 16, …, which is composed of wireless access sub-network 102 and management and control subnet 101 two parts ) that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN) ( as shown in fig. 7, the radio access network with base station 203), wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN) (fig. 7, gateway 122);
and processing, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN (as shown in fig. 7; page 16, … wireless digital broadcast layer 112 composed of 1 or more digital broadcast transmitting station 201, broadband wireless support layer 113 composed of 1 or more radio access base stations 202, mobile communication layer 114 and multiple WAN access points 207 composed of several mobile communication base station 203 or is composed of multiple mobile communication base station 203, one of its spatial distribution possible is shown in FIG. 7).
Regarding claim 21, DIAO teaches an apparatus (fig. 6, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108) comprising: interface circuitry (fig. 6, 106); and processing circuitry (fig. 6, 105) coupled with the interface circuitry (as shown in fig. 6), the processing circuitry to:
performing, with a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer (fig. 6, component 106, 107 and 108; page 25, … the information provided to access integrated control unit 106. load condition of different base station access integrated control unit 106), control plane signaling (as shown in fig. 6; page 12, … transmitting the transmitting base station code signal) with a second snCP layer (fig. 6, component 113; page 24, mobile communication broadband wireless support layer 113 layer 114 by pointing the time width of the instruction, sends specified order of cell breathing, sends appointed instruction of on which downlink time slot distributing form and so on), the second snCP layer associated with a node (fig. 6, component 124) of a subnetwork (fig. 6, 102; page 16, …, which is composed of wireless access sub-network 102 and management and control subnet 101 two parts ) that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN) ( as shown in fig. 7, the base station 203), wherein the subnetwork is managed by a management node (MN) (fig. 7, gateway 122);
and processing, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN (as shown in fig. 7; page 16, … wireless digital broadcast layer 112 composed of 1 or more digital broadcast transmitting station 201, broadband wireless support layer 113 composed of 1 or more radio access base stations 202, mobile communication layer 114 and multiple WAN access points 207 composed of several mobile communication base station 203 or is composed of multiple mobile communication base station 203, one of its spatial distribution possible is shown in FIG. 7).
Regarding claim 28, DIAO teaches a method (fig. 6) comprising:
performing, with a first subnetwork control plane (snCP) layer (fig. 6, component 106, 107 and 108; page 25, … the information provided to access integrated control unit 106. load condition of different base station access integrated control unit 106) of a management node (MN) (fig. 6, 101 belong to core network, which is interpreted as a management node) , control plane signaling (as shown in fig. 6; page 12, … transmitting the transmitting base station code signal) with a second snCP layer (fig. 6, component 113; page 24, mobile communication broadband wireless support layer 113 layer 114 by pointing the time width of the instruction, sends specified order of cell breathing, sends appointed instruction of on which downlink time slot distributing form and so on), of a user equipment (UE) (fig. 6, component 124), where the MN and the UE are associated with a subnetwork (fig. 6, 102; page 16, …, which is composed of wireless access sub-network 102 and management and control subnet 101 two parts ) that is coupled with a radio access network (RAN) ( as shown in fig. 7, the radio access network with base station 203), and wherein the MN manages the subnetwork (fig. 6, the core network manage the subnetwork);
and processing, based on the control plane signaling, data received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN (as shown in fig. 7; page 16, … wireless digital broadcast layer 112 composed of 1 or more digital broadcast transmitting station 201, broadband wireless support layer 113 composed of 1 or more radio access base stations 202, mobile communication layer 114 and multiple WAN access points 207 composed of several mobile communication base station 203 or is composed of multiple mobile communication base station 203, one of its spatial distribution possible is shown in FIG. 7).
Regarding claim 2, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 1 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the node is the MN (fig. 7, gateway 122), the control plane signaling is second control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as second control plane signaling), and the method further comprises: performing, with a first network control plane (nwCP) layer (fig. 6, 112), first control plane signaling (page 12, … and for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling), for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival with a second nwCP layer (fig. 6, 113; page 12, … and for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station, for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival), wherein the second nwCP layer is associated with a base station of the RAN (fig. 7, base station 203).
Regarding claim 3, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 2 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as second control plane signaling; page 12, … for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station, for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling; the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling since after knowing the adjacent base station code signal, then the time difference is known).
Regarding claim 7, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 1 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the data is received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN via a user plane of the subnetwork (from fig. 6, there is a UE 124 and data is transmitted or received from/to the RAN (as shown in fig. 7, base station) via a user plane in the UE of the subnetwork 102).
Regarding claim 22, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 21 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the node is the MN (fig. 7, gateway 122), the control plane signaling is second control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as second control plane signaling), and the processing circuitry is further to: performing, with a first network control plane (nwCP) layer (fig. 6, 112), first control plane signaling (page 12, … and for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling), with a second nwCP layer (fig. 6, 113; page 12, … and for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station, for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival), wherein the second nwCP layer is associated with a base station of the RAN (fig. 7, base station 203).
Regarding claim 23, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 22 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as second control plane signaling; page 12, … for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station, for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling; the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling since after knowing the adjacent base station code signal, then the time difference is known).
Regarding claim 27, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 21 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the data is received from the RAN or transmitted to the RAN via a user plane of the subnetwork (from fig. 6, there is a UE 124 and data is transmitted or received from/to the RAN (as shown in fig. 7, base station) via a user plane in the UE of the subnetwork 102).
Regarding claim 29, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 28 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that the control plane signaling is first control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling), the method further comprises: transparently forwarding second control plane signaling between a first network control plane (nwCP) layer (fig. 6, 112) of the UE (fig. 6, 124 is a UE) and a second nwCP layer (fig. 6, 113) of a base station of the RAN (fig. 7, base station 203; it is transparently forward, since the physical layer does not change the control signal from UE to base station).
Regarding claim 30, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 29 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that said transparently forwarding the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling (page 12, .. transmitting the transmitting base station code signal; which is interpreted as second control plane signaling; page 12, … for the terminal in the covering range of the base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station to measure the code signal of the adjacent base station, for obtaining the observing time difference of arrival; which is interpreted as first control plane signaling; the second control plane signaling is based on the first control plane signaling since after knowing the adjacent base station code signal, then the time difference is known).
Regarding claim 31, DIAO teaches the limitations recited in claim 30 as discussed above. In addition, DIAO further discloses that implementing a network control plane (nwCP) layer on behalf of the UE (fig. 6, component 114 is a network control plane (nwCP) layer on behalf of the UE 124; page 18-19, … one or more layers of mobile communication layer 114 matching the working capability. mobile or fixed terminal 124 of the other is realized only with the wireless digital broadcast layer 112, broadband wireless support layer 113, one or more layers of mobile communication layer 114 with an ability to work out, but also has the communication ability of the wireless local area network 126. the moving mould mobile or fixed terminal 124 can be personal digital assistant, notebook computer, mobile phone and other mobile or fixed terminal 124).
12. Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form 892.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAIHAN JIANG whose telephone number is (571)272-1399. The examiner can normally be reached on flexible.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sath Perungavoor can be reached on (571)272-7455. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-270-0655.
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/ZAIHAN JIANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2488
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