DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A preliminary amendment received on 10/21/2024 amending claims 3, 5, 10, 12, 14, and 17, canceling claims 15-16 and adding claims 18-22 has been entered by the examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 4/15/2025, 9/29/2025, and 6/15/2026 have been entered and considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-14 and 17-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ai et al (US2020/0137528 A1) IDS submitted by Applicant.
Regarding claims 1, 8, and 17, Ai teaches a method/terminal/ non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of obtaining multicast configuration information (Abstract), comprising:
a memory, a transceiver, and a processor, wherein, the memory is configured to store a computer program; the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory; and the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor and perform a following operation/a computer program stored thereon, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor (Para. 0148; i.e. claims recite processor and a terminal/UE would necessarily have a processor, transceiver, and memory):
receiving, by a terminal, downlink control information (DCI), wherein the DCI carries a configuration change indication of a multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; An access network element send, in downlink control information DCI of physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling single cell-multicast traffic channel SC-MTCH, or medium access control MAC protocol data unit PDU carrying SC-MTCH data, change notification of single-cell multicast control channel SC-MCCH information);
obtaining, by the terminal, configuration information of the multicast service from a scheduled multicast/broadcast service control channel MCCH according to the configuration change indication (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; A one-bit indicator is used to indicate whether there is update of SC-MCCH information).
Regarding claims 2, 9, 18, 20, and 22, Ai teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Ai further teaches wherein that the DCI carries the configuration change indication of the multicast service comprises one of following: that the DCI comprises first preset bit information, wherein the first preset bit information is configured to indicate a configuration change of the multicast service; or, that the DCI comprises second preset bit information configured to indicate a configuration change of a broadcast service, wherein the second preset bit information is reused to indicate a configuration change of the multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; A method for notifying service information change of multicast service includes: … A one-bit indicator is used to indicate whether there is update of SC-MCCH information).
Regarding claims 3, 10, 19, and 21, Ai teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Ai further teaches wherein the configuration change indication of the multicast service is configured to indicate at least one or more of following: starting of the multicast service; configuration modification of the multicast service; or stopping of the multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; An access network element send, in downlink control information DCI of physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling single cell-multicast traffic channel SC-MTCH, or medium access control MAC protocol data unit PDU carrying SC-MTCH data, change notification of single-cell multicast control channel SC-MCCH information; A method for notifying service information change of multicast service includes: … A one-bit indicator is used to indicate whether there is update of SC-MCCH information).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Ai teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Ai further teaches wherein the obtaining, by the terminal, the configuration information of the multicast service from the scheduled MCCH according to the configuration change indication comprises at least one of following: when the configuration change indication of the multicast service carried in the DCI is a configuration change indication of a multicast service interested by the terminal, obtaining, by the terminal from the scheduled MCCH according to the configuration change indication, the configuration information of the multicast service interested by the terminal; or, when the configuration change indication of the multicast service carried in the DCI is a configuration change indication of a multicast service being received by the terminal, obtaining, by the terminal from the scheduled MCCH according to the configuration change indication, the configuration information of the multicast service being received by the terminal (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079 and 0172; The UE could learn that the SC-MCCH information is changed by using this change notification mechanism, so that the SC-MCCH information could be received to detect whether the schedule information of the MBMS service of interest is carried in the SC-MCCH information, and if yes, the UE starts to receive data of the MBMS service based on the schedule information).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, Ai teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Ai further teaches wherein if the configuration change indication is a target indication value, then updating a configuration of the multicast service is indicated; otherwise, not updating a configuration of the multicast service is indicated (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079 and 0172; The UE could learn that the SC-MCCH information is changed by using this change notification mechanism, so that the SC-MCCH information could be received to detect whether the schedule information of the MBMS service of interest is carried in the SC-MCCH information, and if yes, the UE starts to receive data of the MBMS service based on the schedule information; A method for notifying service information change of multicast service includes: … A one-bit indicator is used to indicate whether there is update of SC-MCCH information).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, Ai teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Ai further teaches wherein the configuration information of the multicast service comprises at least one of following: a list of multicast services ongoing in a cell to which the terminal belongs; configuration information related to a protocol used by the terminal to receive the multicast service; configuration information related to cell reselection; or, configuration information related to discontinuous reception of the multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079 and 0089-0092; Optionally, the configuration information of the multicast service includes at least one of following: 1) a list of ongoing multicast services in a cell to which the terminal belongs; 2) configuration information related to a protocol used by the terminal to receive the multicast service; the configuration information related to the protocol includes configuration information of a physical layer, a Medium Control Channel (MAC), a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and the like corresponding to receiving the multicast service by the terminal; 3) configuration information related to cell reselection; and the configuration information related to cell reselection is, for example, configuration information related to cell reselection for ensuring multicast service continuity when the terminal moves).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Ai teaches a method/network side device of indicating multicast configuration information (Abstract), comprising:
a memory, a transceiver, and a processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program; the transceiver is configured to transmit and receive data under the control of the processor; and the processor is configured to read the computer program in the memory and perform steps of the method (Para. 0148; i.e. claims recite processor and memory and a access network device would necessarily have a processor, transceiver, and memory):
determining, by a network side device, a configuration change indication of a multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; A one-bit indicator is used to indicate whether there is update of SC-MCCH information);
transmitting downlink control information (DCI) to a terminal, wherein the DCI carries the configuration change indication of the multicast service (Figs. 3-6; Paras. 0068-0079; An access network element send, in downlink control information DCI of physical downlink control channel PDCCH scheduling single cell-multicast traffic channel SC-MTCH, or medium access control MAC protocol data unit PDU carrying SC-MTCH data, change notification of single-cell multicast control channel SC-MCCH information).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENT KRUEGER whose telephone number is (303)297-4238. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00 MT.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached on (571) 272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KENT KRUEGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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