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 .
Response to Amendment
This is in response to Applicant’s amendment which was filed on 08/03/2026 and has been entered. No claims have been amended, cancelled or added. Claims 44-63 are pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 08/03/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 44-46 and 48-54 under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of US Publication No. 2020/0383004 (“Hande et al.”).
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 44-48 and 50-54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication No. 2021/0352537 (“Bharatia”) in view of US Publication No. 2020/0383004 (“Hande et al.”).
Regarding claim 44, Bharatia discloses a method performed by a network node in a communication network, the method comprising:
transmitting or receiving messages through a tunnel with another network node, wherein the messages convey user plane traffic (Fig. 4 and [0065] uplink traffic), wherein one or more of the messages each include information indicating one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic, wherein the one or more characteristics include a periodicity of the user plane traffic and/or a burst arrival time of the user plane traffic ([0111] parameters are exchanged over the N4 interface between the SMF and UPF: usage reporting rule (e.g., measurement key, reporting triggers, periodic measurement threshold, volume measurement threshold, time measurement threshold, event measurement threshold, Inactivity detection time and Event based reporting)).
Bharatia discloses forwarding user-plane traffic between the access network and UPF, including tunneling between the access network and UPF, and encapsulating user-plane packets using a user-plane encapsulation protocol. See Bharatia, description of user-plane connectivity associated with FIG. 11. Accordingly, Bharatia teaches a network node transmitting or receiving messages through a tunnel with another network node, wherein the messages convey user-plane traffic. However, it does not specify that the messages conveying the tunneled user-plane traffic include information indicating the periodicity or burst-arrival time of that traffic.
However in the same field of endeavor, Hande et al. discloses traffic burst awareness communicating burst-related characteristics of traffic and including burst parameters in a packet header; specifically, a traffic flow comprising bursts of packets and identifies burst start time, burst end time, burst spread, and burst period as burst parameters. Hande defines burst period as the duration between the start times of consecutive bursts (FIG. 16). A data network may provide burst parameters through a UPF to the RAN and that the RAN may determine burst parameters from the burst traffic itself or from separately received parameters (Figs. 17B–18, step 1812).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bharatia’s tunneled user-plane packet communications to include a packet header indicating burst parameters, as taught by Hande in order to provide network nodes receiving the user-plane traffic with information about the timing characteristics of the traffic, thereby facilitating determination of burst timing and more efficient management of network resources and UE power consumption. Hande expressly recognizes that knowledge of burst characteristics can be used to configure UE sleep-mode parameters and that burst characteristics may be determined from the burst traffic itself. Providing the burst-parameter header information in the user-plane packets transported through Bharatia’s tunnel would therefore have been a predictable application of the packet-header technique taught by Hande et al.
Regarding claim 55, Bharatia discloses a network node (fig. 2, eNB 102) configured for use in a communication network, the network node comprising:
communication circuitry; and processing circuitry (fig. 2) configured to transmitting or receiving messages through a tunnel with another network node, wherein the messages convey user plane traffic (Fig. 4 and [0065] uplink traffic), wherein one or more of the messages each include information indicating one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic, wherein the one or more characteristics include a periodicity of the user plane traffic and/or a burst arrival time of the user plane traffic ([0111] parameters are exchanged over the N4 interface between the SMF and UPF: usage reporting rule (e.g., measurement key, reporting triggers, periodic measurement threshold, volume measurement threshold, time measurement threshold, event measurement threshold, Inactivity detection time and Event based reporting)).
Bharatia discloses forwarding user-plane traffic between the access network and UPF, including tunneling between the access network and UPF, and encapsulating user-plane packets using a user-plane encapsulation protocol. See Bharatia, description of user-plane connectivity associated with FIG. 11. Accordingly, Bharatia teaches a network node transmitting or receiving messages through a tunnel with another network node, wherein the messages convey user-plane traffic. However, it does not specify that the messages conveying the tunneled user-plane traffic include information indicating the periodicity or burst-arrival time of that traffic.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Hande et al. discloses traffic burst awareness communicating burst-related characteristics of traffic and including burst parameters in a packet header; specifically, a traffic flow comprising bursts of packets and identifies burst start time, burst end time, burst spread, and burst period as burst parameters. Hande defines burst period as the duration between the start times of consecutive bursts (FIG. 16). A data network may provide burst parameters through a UPF to the RAN and that the RAN may determine burst parameters from the burst traffic itself or from separately received parameters (Figs. 17B–18, step 1812).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Bharatia’s tunneled user-plane packet communications to include a packet header indicating burst parameters, as taught by Hande in order to provide network nodes receiving the user-plane traffic with information about the timing characteristics of the traffic, thereby facilitating determination of burst timing and more efficient management of network resources and UE power consumption. Hande expressly recognizes that knowledge of burst characteristics can be used to configure UE sleep-mode parameters and that burst characteristics may be determined from the burst traffic itself. Providing the burst-parameter header information in the user-plane packets transported through Bharatia’s tunnel would therefore have been a predictable application of the packet-header technique taught by Hande et al.
Regarding claim 45, Bharatia discloses wherein the one or more characteristics are one or more characteristics measured or experienced at an application layer ([0103] user data traffic).
Regarding claims 46, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 44, wherein the messages convey user plane traffic for one or more flows, wherein information included in a message conveying user plane traffic for a flow indicates one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic for that flow ([0092] It enables traffic from the UE to be split via multiple paths through multiple UPFs in the uplink direction).
Regarding claim 47, Bharatia does not specify the method of claim 46, wherein the user plane traffic is eXtended Reality (XR) traffic, wherein the one or more flows are one or more XR traffic flows.
In the same field of endeavor, Hande et al. discloses determining one or more burst parameters associated with bursts of file transmissions, each burst having one or more files, each file having a plurality of packets comprising at least one of a plurality of uplink packets or a plurality of downlink packets. The communication systems support various services such as extended reality (XR) In XR applications, a traffic flow may include bursts of files comprising multiple packets. The radio access network (RAN) may determine or receive the structure of the bursts (e.g., start time, end time, duration, or period) and configure power saving settings for a user equipment (UE) in accordance with the burst structure. ([0060-0063]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the XR traffic handling in Hande with the per flow traffic steering in Bharatia to arrive at the claimed invention because the XR traffic requires application specific flow with the benefit of quality of service (QOS).
Regarding claim 48, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 44, wherein the one or more messages each further include a quality of service (QoS) flow identifier identifying a QoS flow to which the message or the user plane traffic conveyed by the message belongs ([0111] parameters are exchanged over the N4 interface between the SMF and UPF include QoS enforcement rule (e.g., QoS enforcement rule correlation identifier, UL/DL gate status, maximum bitrate, guaranteed bitrate, transport level marking, extension header).
Regarding claim 50, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 44, wherein the one or more messages each include the information indicating the one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic in: a DL PDU SESSION INFORMATION frame; a DL USER DATA frame; or a DL DATA DELIVERY STATUS frame ([0065] downlink user plane message).
Regarding claim 51, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 44, wherein said transmitting or receiving comprises transmitting the messages, wherein either: the network node is a core network node and the another network node is a radio network node; or the network node comprises a central unit of a radio network node and the another network node comprises a distributed unit of the radio network node ([0063] core network node: SMF/UPF and radio access node (RAN).
Regarding claim 52, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 44, wherein said transmitting or receiving comprises receiving the messages, wherein either: the another network node is a core network node and the network node is a radio network node; or the another network node comprises a central unit of a radio network node and the network node comprises a distributed unit of the radio network node ([0063] core network node: SMF/UPF and radio access node (RAN).
Regarding claim 53, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 52, further comprising, based on the one or more indicated characteristics of the user plane traffic, adapting allocation of radio resources for the user plane traffic and/or adapting a configuration of a communication device associated with the user plane traffic ([0101-0102] The SMF may be made dynamically aware on the UPF load and relative static capacity for which it has an established N4 session. The UPF's dynamic load is considered at the node level. In such example, the SMF may then derive the load at the APN level).
Regarding claim 54, Bharatia discloses the method of claim 51, wherein the core network node implements a User Plane Function (UPF) ([0090] the user plane function (UPF) selection may be performed by the session management function (SMF) during the session establishment or when UPF relocation is required).
Claim 49 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication No. 2021/0352537 (“Bharatia”) in view of US Publication No. 2020/0383004 (“Hande et al.”) and further in view of WO 2022/057706 (“Kumar et al.”).
Regarding claim 49, Bharatia in view of Hande et al. discloses the method of claim 44 wherein the tunnel is a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunnelling Protocol (GTP) user plane (GTP-U) tunnel ([0003] requirement supported LTE, UMTS/HSPA and GSM/GPRS is to support full mobility, characteristics of the user plane traffic reflected in QoS flows ([0111]) the flows are transported via GTP-U). However, the combination does not specify wherein the one or more messages each include the information indicating the one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic in a GTP-U extension header.
In a similar field of endeavor, Kumar et al. teaches a data-transmission technique in which information identifying the transmission state of a data stream is associated with the packet or data stream carrying the traffic. A GTP-U packet having a TEID field and an extension-header field, adding information to a GTP-U extension header, including an identifier indicating burst traffic or an indicator identifying the beginning or end of a burst. Kumar et al. further discloses placing the first information in the GTP-U header of the data message carrying the data stream, rather than limiting the information to a separate control message (FIGS. 6A–6B). Accordingly, Kumar et al. teaches the use of a GTP-U extension header to convey burst-related information in association with a data stream and expressly describes a header field in which information relating to a period and packet volume may be carried.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine these teachings to provide a receiving network node with information identifying the timing characteristics of tunneled user-plane traffic, thereby facilitating traffic-aware resource allocation, scheduling, quality-of-service treatment, and related network-management operations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claims 56, 57, 59, 60, and 63 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Publication No. 2022/0232605 (“Kim et al.”).
Regarding claim 56, Kim et al. discloses a method performed by a communication device (UE), the method comprising:
transmitting, to the communication network, uplink signaling indicating one or more characteristics of user plane traffic ([0005] a UE may provide uplink assistance information (UAI) to a base station to assist the base station with providing uplink resources that efficiently serve an XR session),
wherein the one or more characteristics include a periodicity of the user plane and/or include a burst arrival time of the user plane traffic ([0036] The UE may send the pose information and/or other control information according to a periodicity that is associated with a frame rate of an XR application).
Regarding claim 57, Kim et al. discloses wherein the one or more characteristics are one or more characteristics measured or experienced at an application layer ([0037] XR traffic of the UE from the XR application).
Regarding claim 59, Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 44, wherein the messages convey user plane traffic for one or more flows, wherein information included in a message conveying user plane traffic for a flow indicates one or more characteristics of the user plane traffic for that flow ([0097] At 610, the UE 115-b may obtain uplink traffic information. In some cases, the uplink traffic information may be based on pose/control information and periodicity for an XR traffic flow).
Regarding claim 60, Kim et al. discloses the method of claim 46, wherein the user plane traffic is eXtended Reality (XR) traffic, wherein the one or more flows are one or more XR traffic flows ([0005] XR traffic flow).
Regarding claim 63, Kim et al. discloses a communication device (UE) configured for use in a communication network, the communication device comprising:
communication circuitry; and processing circuitry configured to transmitting, to the communication network, uplink signaling indicating one or more characteristics of user plane traffic ([0005] a UE may provide uplink assistance information (UAI) to a base station to assist the base station with providing uplink resources that efficiently serve an XR session),
wherein the one or more characteristics include a periodicity of the user plane and/or include a burst arrival time of the user plane traffic ([0036] The UE may send the pose information and/or other control information according to a periodicity that is associated with a frame rate of an XR application).
Claims 61 and 62 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication No. 2022/0232605 (“Kim et al.”) in view of US Publication No. 2019/0246420 (“Park et al.”).
Regarding claim 61 and 62, Kim et al. discloses RRC signaling but does not specify the method of claim 56, wherein the uplink signaling is transmitted in a radio resource control (RRC) message, wherein the RRC message is a UE Assistance message.
In the same field of endeavor, Park et al. discloses ([0198] FIG. 16) messaging associated with traffic pattern information. A wireless device 1601 may transmit a first radio resource control (RRC) message 1610-A to the base station. The first RRC message may comprise traffic pattern information associated with wireless communications of the wireless device. The traffic pattern information may comprise a traffic timing offset (e.g., “Traffic timing offset”), a traffic periodicity (e.g., “Traffic periodicity”), and/or a message size (e.g., “Message size”). The first RRC message may comprise a wireless device assistance information message (e.g., UEAssistanceInformation message).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the RRC signaling in Kim et al. to include a UE Assistance message as disclosed in Park et al. because using established RRC mechanism for the periodic XR traffic would provide the network with the information needed to configure uplink resources.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 58 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/JIRAPON TULOP/Examiner, Art Unit 2693
