DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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 1-5, 7-10 and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (US 2023/0087615 A1), hereinafter “PARK” in view of Dai et al. (US 2024/0365423 A1), hereinafter “DAI”.
Regarding claim 1, PARK teaches, ‘A method, performed by a distributed unit (DU) of a distributed base station, of managing configuration information for small data transmission (SDT) operation, the method comprising:’ (Paragraph [0259]: In an example, as shown in FIG. 26, a wireless
device (UE) may communicate with a base station (e.g., gNB, etc.) comprising a base station central unit (e.g., CU, base station CU, gNB-CU, etc.) and one or more base station distributed units (e.g., DUs, base station DUs, gNB-DUs, etc.); Paragraph [0273]: a DU to CU RRC container comprising cell configuration parameters and/or SRB/DRB configuration parameters configured for the wireless device; Paragraph [0297]: In an example, as shown in FIG. 27 and/or FIG. 28, a base station distributed unit (e.g., DUs, base station DUs, gNB-DUs, etc.) may determine, based on the receiving and/or transmitting the data… completion of a small data transmission (SDT) procedure):
PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘receiving, from a central unit (CU) of the distributed base station, a CU-to-DU message including a full SDT configuration for a user equipment (UE),’ (DAI - Paragraph [0014]: The second CG[Configured Grant]-SDT resource configuration information is full CG-SDT resource configuration information in some embodiments of the present
application; Paragraph [0083]: After receiving the new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information, the CU will transmit to the DU a RRC release message for causing the UE to enter into a non-connected state, e.g., RRC_INACTIVE state with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information in step 518. The DU will transfer the RRC release message with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information to the UE in step 520… The old CG-SDT resource configuration information will be replaced with the new CG-SDT resource configuration information in the CU, e.g., the first CG-SDT resource configuration information will be
replaced with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information),
‘wherein the CU-to-DU message is a UE context modification request message;’ (DAI - Paragraph [0012]: The first CG-SDT resource configuration information is a RRC container transmitted in a CU to DU RRC container information element (IE), or is transmitted in a UE context modification request message; Paragraph [0081]: In some other embodiments of the present application, the first CG-SDT resource configuration information may be included in a UE context modification request message);
‘generating a delta SDT configuration to update the full SDT configuration;’ (DAI - Paragraph [0082]: After receiving the stored (previous or old) CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will determine whether to update (or reconfigure) the CG-SDT resource configuration information. In step 514, in the case that the DU determines to reconfigure the CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will generate new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second
CG-SDT resource configuration information based on the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information. The new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be delta configuration information of the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information or full CG-SDT resource
configuration information);
‘and transmitting to the CU a DU-to-CU message that includes the delta SDT configuration, wherein the DU-to-CU message is a UE context modification response message.’ (DAI – Paragraph [0082]: The DU will transmit the new CG-SDT resource configuration information to the CU in step 516. For example, the new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be a RRC container included in the DU to CU RRC container IE. In another example, the new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be included in a UE context modification response message),
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claims 2, 8 and 15, PARK and DAI teach, The method of claim 1, PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ’wherein the CU-to-DU message includes a request for an SDT configuration.’ (DAI – Paragraph [0010]: In some embodiments of the present application, the indication associated with SDT scheme selection is a CG-SDT required indication or a CG-SDT inquiry indication in the case that the CU determines that CG-SDT is to be configured for the UE; Paragraph [0019]: In some embodiments of the present application, the indication associated with SDT scheme selection is a CG-SDT required indication or a CG-SDT inquiry indication indicating the DU that CG-SDT is required or requested to be configured for the UE; Paragraph [0065]: In the case that the CU decides the CG-SDT will be configured for the UE, the indication associated with SDT scheme selection is a CG-SDT required indication indicating the DU that CG-SDT is required to be configured for the UE, or is a CG-SDT inquiry indication indicating the DU that CG-SDT is requested to be configured for the UE. For example, the CU will transmit a CG-SDT required indication or CG-SDT inquiry indication to the DU in a UE context modification request message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claims 3, 9 and 16, PARK and DAI teach, The method of claim 2, PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘wherein the request for the SDT configuration is an information element (IE) in the CU-to-DU message.’ (DAI – Paragraphs [0010]-[0012]: In some embodiments of the present application, the indication associated with SDT scheme selection is an SDT indication indicating the DU whether a DRB or a quality of service (QOS) flow or a protocol data unit (PDU) session is subject to an SDT… The first CG-SDT resource configuration information is a RRC container transmitted in a CU to DU RRC container information element (IE), or is transmitted in a UE context modification request message… In some embodiments of the present application, the indication associated with SDT scheme selection is a CG-SDT required indication or a CG-SDT inquiry indication in the case that the CU determines that CG-SDT is to be configured for the UE).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claims 4, 10 and 17, PARK and DAI teach, The method of claim 1, PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘wherein the full SDT configuration is a full DU SDT configuration and the delta SDT configuration is a delta DU SDT configuration.’ (DAI – Paragraph [0082]: After receiving the stored (previous or old) CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will determine whether to update (or reconfigure) the CG-SDT resource configuration information. In step 514, in the case that the DU determines to reconfigure the CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will generate new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information based on the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information. The new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be delta configuration information of the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information or full CG-SDT resource configuration information; Paragraph [0021]: determining whether CG-SDT is to be configured by the DU. The method may further include: storing, by the DU, the first CG-SDT resource configuration information… The first
CG-SDT resource configuration information is preconfigured in the DU).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claims 5 and 18, PARK and DAI teach, The method of claim 1, PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘wherein the delta SDT configuration includes only a subset of parameters included in the full SDT configuration.’ (DAI – Paragraphs [0082]-[0083]: After receiving the stored (previous or old) CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will determine whether to update (or reconfigure) the CG-SDT resource configuration information. In step 514, in the case that the DU determines to reconfigure the CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will generate new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information based on the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information. The new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be delta configuration information of the previous CG-SDT
resource configuration information or full CG-SDT resource configuration information… The old CG-SDT resource configuration information will be replaced with the new CG-SDT resource configuration information in the CU, e.g., the first CG-SDT resource configuration information will be replaced with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claim 7, PARK teaches, ‘A method, performed by a central unit (CU) of a distributed base station, of managing configuration information for small data transmission (SDT) operation, the method comprising:’ (Paragraph [0259]: In an example, as shown in FIG. 26, a wireless device (UE) may communicate with a base station ( e.g., gNB, etc.) comprising a base station central unit (e.g., CU, base station CU, gNB-CU, etc.) and one or more base station distributed units (e.g., DUs, base station DUs, gNB-DUs, etc.)… The wireless device may communicate with the CU (e.g., CU-CP and/or CU-UP) via the DU; Paragraph [0274]: For resuming/establishing the bearer (e.g., the logical channel, the logical channel group, the QoS flow, the PDU session), the CU-CP may perform a UE context setup/modification procedure for the wireless device with the base station distributed unit and/or the CU-UP):
PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘transmitting, to a distributed unit (DU) of the distributed base station, a CU-to-DU message including a full SDT configuration for a user equipment (UE),’ (DAI - Paragraph [0014]: The second CG-SDT resource configuration information is full CG-SDT resource configuration information in some embodiments of the present application; Paragraph [0083]: After receiving the new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information, the CU will transmit to the DU a RRC release message for causing the UE to enter into a non-connected state, e.g., RRC_INACTIVE state with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information in step 518… The old CG-SDT resource configuration information will be replaced with the new CG-SDT resource configuration information in the CU, e.g., the first CG-SDT resource configuration information will be replaced with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information),
‘wherein the CU-to-DU message is a UE context modification request message;’ (DAI - Paragraph [0012]: The first CG-SDT resource configuration information is a RRC container transmitted in a CU to DU RRC container information element (IE), or is transmitted in a UE context modification request message; Paragraph [0065]: For example, the CU will transmit a CG-SDT required indication or CG-SDT inquiry indication to the DU in a UE context modification request message);
‘and in response to the CU-to-DU message, receiving from the DU a DU-to-CU message that includes a delta SDT configuration, wherein the DU-to-CU message is a UE context modification response message.’ (DAI - Paragraph [0082]: After receiving the stored (previous or old) CG-SDT
resource configuration information, the DU will determine whether to update ( or reconfigure) the CG-SDT resource configuration information. In step 514, in the case that the DU determines to reconfigure the CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will generate new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information based on the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information. The new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be delta configuration information of the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information or full CG-SDT resource configuration information. The DU will transmit the new CG-SDT resource configuration information to the CU in step 516… In another example, the new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be included in a UE context modification response message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Regarding claim 14, PARK teaches, ‘A distributed unit (DU) of a distributed base station, the DU comprising one or more processors and being configured to:’ (Paragraph [0259]: In an example, as shown in FIG. 26, a wireless device (UE) may communicate with a base station ( e.g., gNB, etc.) comprising a base station central unit (e.g., CU, base station CU, gNB-CU, etc.) and one or more base station distributed units (e.g., DUs, base station DUs, gNB-DUs, etc.)… The wireless device may communicate with the CU (e.g., CU-CP and/or CU-UP) via the DU; Paragraph [0346]: In an example, a base station may comprise at least one of the CU-CP, the CU-UP, at least one DU, and/or the like; Paragraph [0214]: The processing system 1508 and/or the processing system 1518 may comprise one or more controllers and/or one or more processors. The one or more controllers and/or one or more processors may comprise, for example, a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), a microcontroller, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) and/or other programmable logic device):
PARK does not explicitly teach but DAI teaches, ‘receive, from a central unit (CU) of the distributed base station, a CU-to-DU message including a full small data transmission (SDT) configuration for a user equipment (UE),’ (DAI - Paragraph [0014]: The second CG-SDT resource configuration information is full CG-SDT resource configuration information in some embodiments of the present
application; Paragraph [0035]: Some embodiments of the present application provide a DU of a RAN node, including: a processor; and a transceiver coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive an indication associated with SDT scheme selection for a UE from a CU by the DU; transmit, by the DU from the CU, first CG-SDT resource configuration information for the UE in the case that CG-SDT is configured; and receive, by the DU from the DU, a RRC release message for causing the UE to enter into a nonconnected state with the first CG-SDT resource configuration
information; Paragraph [0083]: After receiving the new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information, the CU will transmit to the DU a
RRC release message for causing the UE to enter into a non-connected state, e.g., RRC_INACTIVE state with the second CG-SDT resource configuration information in step 518),
‘wherein the CU-to-DU message is a UE context modification request message;’ (DAI – Paragraph [0012]: The first CG-SDT resource configuration information is a RRC container transmitted in a CU to DU RRC container information element (IE), or 1s transmitted in a UE context modification request message; Paragraph [0065]: For example, the CU will transmit a CG-SDT required indication or CG-SDT inquiry indication to the DU in a UE context modification request message);
‘generate a delta SDT configuration to update the full SDT configuration;’ (DAI – Paragraph [0082]: After receiving the stored (previous or old) CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will determine whether to update (or reconfigure) the CG-SDT resource configuration information. In step 514, in the case that the DU determines to reconfigure the CG-SDT resource configuration information, the DU will generate new CG-SDT resource configuration information, e.g., the second CG-SDT resource configuration information based on the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information. The new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be delta configuration information of the previous CG-SDT resource configuration information or full CG-SDT resource configuration information);
‘and transmit to the CU a DU-to-CU message that includes the delta SDT configuration, wherein the DU-to-CU message is a UE context modification response message.’ (DAI – Paragraph [0082]: The DU will transmit the new CG-SDT resource configuration information to the CU in step 516. For example, the new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be a RRC container included in the
DU to CU RRC container IE. In another example, the new CG-SDT resource configuration information may be included in a UE context modification response message).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have known to combine the teachings of DAI with PARK because both are in the same/similar field of endeavor. The advantage of incorporating the above limitation(s) of DAI into PARK is that DAI provides improving transmission efficiency and reducing network signaling overhead across the interface between the CU and the DU during resource reconfiguration, wherein the nodes can pass and evaluate configuration blocks using a specific differential (delta) or complete (full) updates via standard F1 interface context messages. By doing so, this represents the predictable application of known differential configuration update methods (delta vs. full packaging) to a known split architecture system allowing a Distributed Unit(DU) to intelligently reconfigure small data parameters without wasting cell interface capacity or unnecessarily resetting an active UE context (See paragraph [0037], [0061], and [0082], DAI).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HAESHIL J CHOI whose telephone number is (703)756-5409. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday ET.
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/HAESHIL JESSICA CHOI/Examiner, Art Unit 2479
/WEI ZHAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2479
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