DETAILED ACTION
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
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 § 102
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ling et al. (US 20250184172 A1).
Considering claim 1, Ling teaches an apparatus for a core network of a cellular network, the apparatus comprising:
at least one processor (2420); and at least one memory (2430) storing instructions of a multicast broadcast session management function (MB-SMF) ([0029], [0041] restore an MBS session corresponding to the PFCP session, the IP address in the tunnel information, or the transport network IP address towards the NG-RAN. The request contains an ID of the NG-RAN and an ID of the MBS session), which when executed by the at least one processor (Fig.18-24), cause the apparatus to perform at least:
receiving, from a multicast broadcast user plane function (MB-UPF) ([0034]-[0035]), an indication that a tunnel for an interface used for communicating a multicast broadcast services (MBS) session between a network access node ([0034]-[0035]) and the MB-UPF has failed ([0041], [0078]), the indication comprising an address associated with the network access node using the tunnel ([0049] transport network IP address corresponding to the NG-RAN, [0078]);
retrieving an identification of the network access node based on the address ([0049], [0387]); and
indicating, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) for forwarding to the network access node (NG-RAN), failure of the tunnel ([0061], [0070] an ID of an NG-RAN and an indication of failure of the NG-RAN [0078]).
Considering claim 2, Ling teaches wherein the indicating further comprising indicating an identification of the MBS session ([0034]-[0035], [0041]).
Considering claim 3, Ling teaches wherein the MB-SMF is further configured to perform: receiving an indication of a new transport address to be used as tunnel endpoint that is associated with the MBS session ([0155]-[0159]).
Considering claim 4, Ling teaches wherein the indicating comprising indicating, to the AMF for forwarding to the network access node, failure of the tunnel using the identification of the network access node ([0078], [0155]-[0159]).
Considering claim 5, Ling teaches wherein the indicating comprising indicating an identifier of the MBS session associated with the tunnel that has failed ([0070], [0078].
Considering claim 6, Ling teaches a network access node for a cellular network, the network access node comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (Fig.18-24), cause the network access node to perform:
receiving, using a tunnel of an interface for communicating a multicast broadcast services (MBS) session between the network access node ([0034]-[0035]) and a multicast broadcast user plane function (MB-UPF) ([0034]-[0035], [0041]) and from a multicast broadcast session management function (MB-SMF) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) ([0041], [0078]), at least one of an indication that the tunnel has failed ([0070], [0078] report indicating an error associated with the tunnel information for a PFCP session corresponding to the MBS session, or a failure or restart associated with an IP address in the tunnel information or the transport network IP address);
determining a new transport address associated with the MBS session ([0158]-[0159]); and
sending, toward the MB-SMF via the AMF, an indication of the new transport address that is associated with the MBS session to be used as new tunnel endpoint for the communicating between the MB-UPF and the network access node (NG-RAN, [0155]-[0159] MB-SMF may then provide the new DL Tunnel Info to the MB-UPF, [0179]).
Considering claim 7, Ling teaches a network access node for a cellular network, the network access node comprising:
at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor (Fig.18-24), cause the network access node to perform:
receiving, using a tunnel of an interface for communicating a multicast broadcast services (MBS) session of a core network of the cellular network between the network access node ([0034]-[0035]) and a multicast broadcast user plane function (MB-UPF) of the core network ([0035], [0041]) and from a multicast broadcast session management function (MB-SMF) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the core network ([0041], [0070], [0078]), an indication that the tunnel has failed ([0078] report indicating an error associated with the tunnel information for a PFCP session corresponding to the MBS session, or a failure or restart associated with an IP address in the tunnel information or the transport network IP address);
determining to release a current transport address associated with the MBS session ([0156] may clean or release user plane resources towards the NG-RAN for the MBS session in the MB-UPF, by removing the DL Tunnel Info allocated by the NG-RAN before the restart [0178]) and get a new transport address for the MBS session ([0156], [0158]-[0159]);
setting up a new tunnel that uses the interface used for communicating the MBS session with another cellular network ([0066] a request to set up resources for the MBS session; receiving, from the NG-RAN, a response to the request to set up resources for the MBS session, the response containing the ID of the NG-RAN and tunnel information of another DL tunnel or another transport network IP address corresponding to the NG-RAN [0158]-[0159]; and
sending, towards a multicast broadcast session management function (MB-SMF) of a core network of the another cellular network, an indication of the new transport address to be used with the new tunnel for the MBS session ([0159] NG-RAN may return new DL Tunnel Info to the AMF, which will forward the new DL Tunnel Info to the MB-SMF. The MB-SMF may then provide the new DL Tunnel Info to the MB-UPF, requesting to forward a copy of the MBS session data to the new DL tunnel endpoint).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHAI MINH NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-7923. The examiner can normally be reached 6-3.
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/KHAI M NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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