DETAILED ACTION
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 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.
Claims 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin et al. (US 2022/0210860, “Chin”) in view of Kim et al. (US 2024/0407049, “Kim”; Provisional, 63/308,929, hereinafter “Prov’929”, which includes Figs.1-32 and the related paragraphs of Kim).
Regarding claim 1, Chin discloses a method, performed by a distributed unit (DU) of a distributed base station that includes the DU and a central unit (CU), of managing time alignment, the method comprising:
- transmitting a timing advance command to a user equipment (UE) (See S220 Fig.2, NW sends a RRC release CG configuration message, which includes timing advance related parameters, to UE; See ¶.233, UE receives a timing advance information from the network. For example, a timing advance command MAC CE may be considered as the timing advance information. For another example, a PDCCH (e.g., DCI) that indicates timing advance adjustment may be considered as the timing advance information; See ¶.8, receiving an RRC release message including the CG configuration; and transitioning from an RRC connected state to the RRC inactive state according to the RRC release message);
- starting or restarting a first time alignment timer that indicates validity of a configured grant (CG) configuration (See ¶.233, regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer may be (re)started when a UE receives a timing advance information from the network) when the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) connected state with a radio access network (RAN) that includes the distributed base station (See Fig.2, ‘UE in RRC_CONNECTED’ state; See ¶.43, the UE may be configured to receive and transmit signals over an air interface to one or more cells in a RAN; Examiner’s Note: Kim discloses the limitation “distributed base station”);
- after starting or restarting the first time alignment timer, determining to transition the UE from the RRC connected state to an RRC inactive state (See S220 & S240 Fig.2 and ¶.152, after receiving the RRC release message, the UE in the RRC_CONNECTED state may transit into the RRC_INACTIVE state); and
- in response to the determining, (i) transitioning the UE from the RRC connected state to the inactive state by transmitting a first message to the UE (See S220 Fig.2, network sends RRC release CG configure to UE), (ii) stopping the first time alignment timer (See ¶.17, regarding the stop condition, the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer configured at a UE may be stopped when the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer is discarded/released by the UE. For example, the MAC entity of the UE may stop the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer after being informed by the RRC layer of the UE that the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer is discarded/released), and (iii) starting or restarting a second time alignment timer that indicates validity of a CG small data transmission (CG-SDT) configuration when the UE is in the RRC inactive state (See ¶.231-233, regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started upon a UE receives the configuration of the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer from the network. For example, the UE may (re)start cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer if it receives an RRC release message with cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer IE. [0232] Regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started when a UE enters the RRC_INACTIVE state. [0233] Regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started when a UE receives a timing advance information from the network. For example, a timing advance command MAC CE may be considered as the timing advance information. For another example, a PDCCH (e.g., DCI) that indicates timing advance adjustment may be considered as the timing advance information).
Chin discloses that the UE is in RRC connected state with a RAN, but does not explicitly disclose the limitations “RAN that includes the distributed base station.”
However, Kim discloses RAN that includes the distributed base station (Kim, See Fig.29,
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; See ¶.53, the RAN may include one or more base stations (not shown). A base station may comprise at least one gNB Central Unit (gNB-CU) and at least one a gNB Distributed Unit (gNB-DU)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to apply “RAN that includes the distributed base station” as taught by Kim into the system of Chin, so that it provides a way for the base station distributed unit to receive the information via the first message from the wireless device. Based on receiving the information, the base station central unit may consider that the wireless device is accessing for the SDT procedure (Kim, See ¶.425).
Regarding claim 2, Chin discloses “after stopping the first time alignment timer and starting or restarting the second time alignment timer: transitioning the UE from the inactive state to the RRC connected state by transmitting a second message to the UE (See 110 & 120 Fig.1 and ¶.170, the network may send and RRC resume (e.g., RRC Resume) message to move the UE to the RRC_CONNECTED state; See ¶.290, RRC resume procedure); and after transmitting the second message, (i) again starting the first time alignment timer and (ii) communicating data with the UE operating in the RRC connected state (See Fig.1 and ¶.170, move the UE to RRC_CONNECTED state for data transmission).”
Regarding claim 3, Chin does not explicitly disclose what Kim discloses “receiving, from the CU, a first CU-to-DU message for configuring CG-SDT for the UE (Kim, See Fig.29, F1 message from CU to DU; See ¶.456, SDT procedure with a SDT timer; See ¶.359, RRC release message related with SDT procedure); and receiving, from the CU, a second CU-to-DU message for transitioning the UE to the connected state (See Fig.29, DU receives a second F1 message), wherein stopping the first time alignment timer is in response to the first CU-to-DU message (See Fig.24, expiry of SDT timer), and wherein again starting the first time alignment timer is in response to the second CU-to- DU message (See Fig.29, (re)start timer; Examiner’s Note: See further Kim’s Figs.23-27 and Fig.30 for (re)staring SDT timer, stop the timer and expiry of SDT timer related with RRC connected state and/or RRC inactive state).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, Chin does not explicitly disclose what Kim discloses “the first CU-to-DU message is a UE context release command message, and wherein the second CU-to-DU message is an RRC resume message or an RRC connection resume message (Kim, See Fig.21, RRC release and RRC resume for SDT; See further Fig.21-22 and ¶.425 for CU vs. DU; See Fig.23, and ¶.429-430, RRC release message).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Chin does not explicitly disclose what Kim discloses “again starting the first time alignment timer includes setting a timer value of the first time alignment timer based on (i) a remaining time of the second time alignment timer, or (ii) a parameter that is broadcast by the RAN (See ¶.436, remaining data to transmit while the SDT timer is supposed to be expired in soon; See further ¶.440; See Fig.27 and ¶.34, sending a parameter indicating to (re)start the timer, new timer value).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Chin and Kim disclose “determining that the second time alignment timer is not running, wherein starting or restarting the first time alignment timer is in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is not running (Chin, See ¶.390, CG SDT time alignment timer is not running; See further ¶.329 and ¶.396; See ¶.156, if CG SDT time alignment timer expires; See ¶.231-232, (re)start CG SDT time alignment timer expired; See further ¶.233-235, details of cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer; Examiner’s Note: See further Kim’s Figs.23-27 and Fig.30 for (re)staring SDT timer, stop the timer and expiry of SDT timer). Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 7, Chin and Kim disclose “after starting or restarting the second time alignment timer: transmitting an additional timing advance command to the UE; determining that the second time alignment timer is running; and in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is running, restarting the second time alignment timer (Chin, See ¶.230, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be equivalent to the time Alignment Timer in the RRC_CONNECTED state; Examiner’s Note: See further Kim’s Figs.23-27 and Fig.30 for (re)staring SDT timer, stop the timer and expiry of SDT timer).”
Regarding claim 8, Chin and Kim disclose “after starting or restarting the second time alignment timer: transmitting an additional timing advance command to the UE; again starting or restarting the first time alignment timer (Chin, See ¶.232, Regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started when a UE enters the RRC_INACTIVE state); determining that the second time alignment timer is running; and in response to determining that the second time alignment timer is running, restarting the second time alignment timer (Chin, See ¶.230, Regarding the configuration, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be equivalent to the time Alignment Timer in the RRC_CONNECTED state. In this case, the network may not configure the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer to a UE via the RRC release message; Examiner’s Note: See further Kim’s Figs.23-27 and Fig.30 for (re)staring SDT timer, stop the timer and expiry of SDT timer).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, it is a method claim, performed by a DU, corresponding to the method claim 1, except the limitations:
- in response to the determining, (i) transitioning the UE from the RRC connected state to the inactive state by transmitting a first message to the UE (Chin, See S220 Fig.2, network sends RRC release CG config. to UE), (ii) starting or restarting a second time alignment timer that indicates validity of a CG small data transmission (CG-SDT) configuration when the UE is in the RRC inactive state (Chin, See ¶.231-233, regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer may be (re)started upon a UE receives the configuration of the cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer from the network. For example, the UE may (re)start cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer if it receives an RRC release message with cg-SDT-Time Alignment Timer IE. [0232] Regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started when a UE enters the RRC_INACTIVE state. [0233] Regarding the (re)start condition, the cg-SDT-TimeAlignmentTimer may be (re)started when a UE receives a timing advance information from the network. For example, a timing advance command MAC CE may be considered as the timing advance information. For another example, a PDCCH (e.g., DCI) that indicates timing advance adjustment may be considered as the timing advance information), while continuing to run the first time alignment timer (Kim, See Fig.30, SDT timer is running in RRC inactive state) and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, it is a claim corresponding to the claim 3 and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claim.
Regarding claim 11, Chin and Kim disclose “after starting or restarting the first time alignment timer (Chin, i.e. transition to RRC Connected state as rejected in claim 1 by Chin): receiving a CU-to-DU message from the CU; and determining that the CU-to-DU message indicates that a partial UE context is to be retained (Kim, See Fig.22 and ¶.421 & 424, a partial UE context retrieve), wherein continuing to run the first time alignment timer is in response to determining that the CU-to-DU message indicates that the partial UE context is to be retained (Kim, See ¶.424, a partial context retrieve in RRC connected state, i.e. continue to run the timer).” Therefore, this claim is rejected with the similar reasons and motivation set forth in the rejection of claim 1.
Regarding claims 12-14, they are claims corresponding to claims 6, 7, & 8, respectively and are therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claims.
Regarding claim 15, it is a distributed unit claim corresponding to the method claim 1 and is therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claim.
Regarding claims 16-22, they are claims corresponding to claims 2-8, respectively and are therefore rejected for the similar reasons set forth in the rejection of the claims.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jung H Park whose telephone number is 571-272-8565. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.
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/JUNG H PARK/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
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