DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2023, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Uplink Resource Allocation with Delay information During Logical Channel Prioritization.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 and 9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 5 recites an acronym “PDU” in line 3. For clarity, it is suggested to fully describe an acronym when reciting for the first time in the claim.
Claim 9 recites an acronym “DRB” in line 4. For clarity, it is suggested to fully describe an acronym when reciting for the first time in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 10 and 20 recites the limitation " the LPC Procedure" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purpose of examination, examiner will interpret as best understood.
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, 2, 3, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KANG (US 20250106844).
Regarding Claim 1 and 11, KANG discloses an apparatus performs a method for wireless communication by a user equipment (UE) (See FIG. 10; UE-22a, 22b (collectively referred to as wireless devices 22); see ¶0085), comprising:
a processor (see FIG. 11; Wireless Device-22; Processor-52; see ¶0093), configured to call and run a computer program stored in a memory, (see FIG. 11; Wireless Device-22; Memory-54; see ¶0093) to cause a device in which the processor is installed to execute an uplink resource processing method comprising:
reporting a delay-contained buffer status report (BSR) to a base station (see FIG. 10, 13; Step-S106; see ¶¶0087, 0096, 0104; UE 22 send buffer status report (BSR) to a base station/network node 16. The BSR is based on determined queue duration of queued data packet and PDB (packet delay budget) duration of the logical channel (LCH) associated with the queued data packet. This implies the BSR is delay-contained. The BSR is also based on delay information associated with queued data packets and logical channel; See also FIG. 22, 23; see also ¶0137; The network node 16 receives a delay-aware BSR from the wireless device 22).
Regarding Claim 2 and 12, KANG discloses wherein the delay-contained BSR (see FIG. 10, 13; Step-S106; see ¶0104; UE 22 send buffer status report (BSR) to a base station/network node 16. The BSR is based on determined queue duration of queued data packet and PDB duration of the logical channel (LCH) associated with the queued data packet. This implies the BSR is delay-contained.) comprises delay information (see ¶¶0087, 0096; The BSR is based on delay information) and buffer size of a logical channel group (LCG) (see ¶¶0018, 0087, 0120; The BSR is based on Logical channel and delay information. BSR includes buffer size per LCG in the delay group index); wherein the delay information is remaining time of an LCG (see ¶0018, 0118, 0120, 0137; The delay information/PDB_left is the remaining time of packet (LCID/LCG) delivery); wherein the buffer size is remaining time associated data volume of an LCG (see ¶0018, 0125; the buffer size per LCG included in the BSR comprises amount of data associated with LCID/LCG which is time queued in the buffer).
Regarding Claim 3 and 13, KANG discloses wherein the reporting delay-contained BSR to the base station (see FIG. 10, 13; Step-S106; see ¶¶0087, 0096, 0104; UE 22 send buffer status report (BSR) to a base station/network node 16. The BSR is based on determined queue duration of queued data packet and PDB (packet delay budget) duration of the logical channel (LCH) associated with the queued data packet. This implies the BSR is delay-contained. The BSR is also based on delay information associated with queued data packets and logical channel; See also FIG. 22, 23; see also ¶0137; The network node 16 receives a delay-aware BSR from the wireless device 22) further comprising: triggering a buffer status report (BSR) for a logical channel (LCH) (see ¶0012, 0120; BSR is triggered for a logical channel (LCH)) when the remaining time of traffic data located in an LCH lower than a remaining time threshold (see ¶0012, 0118, 0120; The remaining time/PDB_left of each data packet in LCH/LCG/LCID is lower (8ms) than a remaining time (12ms) range).
Regarding Claim 5 and 15, KANG discloses wherein in buffer status reporting, the UE uses one MAC CE to report buffer size (see FIG. 4, 5; see ¶0010; The UE uses MAC CE to report buffer size) and delay information (see FIG. 6, 7, 8, 9; see ¶0017; The LCG of MAC CE from FIG. 4 and 5 holds the delay information in LCID1 and LCID2), wherein the delay information is a remaining time (see ¶0017; The delay information is remaining time/PDB_left) of a delay budget(see ¶0017; the remaining time is part of packet delay budget) for a buffer size of an LCG (see ¶¶0010, 0017; BSR MAC CE is holding the buffer size of LCID).
Regarding Claim 6 and 16, KANG discloses wherein the MAC CE comprises delay information (see FIG. 6, 7, 8, 9; see ¶0017; The LCG of MAC CE from FIG. 4 and 5 holds the delay information in LCID1 and LCID2) with respect to different ranges of the buffer size (see FIG. 5; See ¶0010; The MAC CE BSR has different buffer sizes).
Regarding Claim 10 and 20, KANG discloses wherein the UE uses a delay information to allocate the uplink resources to logical channels (LCHs) (see ¶¶0111, 0112; The scheduling grant/uplink resource is based on queue/delay information for uplink transmission which is based on at least one BSR) during the LCP procedure (see ¶0137; Logical channel prioritization is based on delay-aware BSR);
wherein the delay information for LCH of the UE is configured by the base station using RRC signaling (see¶0139; The delay-aware BSR related functionality is configured via a RRC signaling);
wherein the delay information comprises delay priority value or delay-sensitive indication (see ¶0137; Network node considers delay information to identify most urgent data packet(s) which is based on logical channel number (LCID1 and LCID2)).
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, 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 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KANG (US 20250106844) in view of TSAI (US 20230121314).
Regarding Claim 4 and 14, KANG discloses wherein the remaining time threshold is configured by the base station (See ¶0118, 0120; The network node 16 provides a mapping of PDB_left/remaining time which includes remaining time/PDB_left threshold/range/window).
Although KANG discloses remaining time threshold configured by base station, KANG doesn’t explicitly disclose configuring MAC entity of the UE via a radio resource control (RRC) signaling.
TSAI discloses configuring a medium access control (MAC) entity of the UE via a radio resource control (RRC) signaling (see ¶0053; The MAC entity of the UE is configured via RRC signaling).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for remaining time threshold to configure by the base station to a MAC entity of the UE via a RRC signaling as taught by TSAI, in the system of KANG, so that it would improve Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (TSAI, see ¶0003).
Claims 7, 8, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KANG (US 20250106844) in view of LI (US 20250374117).
Regarding Claim 7 and 17, KANG discloses wherein in buffer status reporting, the UE uses a first MAC CE to report buffer size (see FIG. 4, 5; see ¶0010; The UE uses MAC CE to report buffer size) and delay information (see FIG. 6, 7, 8, 9; see ¶0017; The LCG of MAC CE from FIG. 4 and 5 holds the delay information in LCID1 and LCID2).
Although KANG discloses first MAC CE reporting buffer size and delay information, KANG doesn’t explicitly disclose “a second MAC CE” to report delay information.
LI discloses uses a second MAC CE to report delay information (see ¶0066; The delay information is included in the second MAC CE).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a first MAC CE to report buffer size and use a second MAC CE to report delay information as taught by LI, in the system of KANG, so that it would improve QoS (quality of service) for XR services with strict latency constraints (LI, see ¶0004).
Regarding Claim 8 and 18, KANG discloses wherein the buffer size (see FIG. 4, 5; see ¶0010; The UE uses MAC CE to report buffer size) and delay information (see FIG. 6, 7, 8, 9; see ¶0017; The LCG of MAC CE from FIG. 4 and 5 holds the delay information in LCID1 and LCID2) in the first MAC CE is associated through a field of the logical channel group ID (see FIG. 5, 6; see ¶0125; the LCID (Logical channel group ID) comprises buffer size which is accessed through the LCG index/field and ).
Although KANG discloses the buffer size and delay information in the first MAC CE is associated through a field of the logical channel group ID, KANG doesn’t explicitly disclose “delay information in the second MAC CE”.
LI discloses the delay information in the second MAC CE (see ¶0066; The delay information is included in the second MAC CE).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the buffer size in the first MAC CE and the delay information in the second MAC CE are associated through a field of the logical channel group ID as taught by LI, in the system of KANG, so that it would improve QoS (quality of service) for XR services with strict latency constraints (LI, see ¶0004).
Claims 9 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KANG (US 20250106844) in view of YI (US 20230232277).
Regarding Claim 9 and 19, KANG discloses wherein the UE obtains the indication of the uplink resources from the base station (see FIG. 14; S110, S112; see ¶0109; The network node 16 determine and cause transmission of the scheduling grant/indication of uplink resources to the WD 22); wherein the uplink resources in the indication are identified by at least one of the following identifiers (IDs): LCG ID (see ¶0112; The scheduling grant/indication of uplink resources is based on BSR associated with packet delay budget which is associated with at least one logical channel; see also ¶¶0012, 0125; Each logical channel belongs to a logical channel group, and LCG has index (LCID)).
Although KANG discloses the indication of the UE obtaining uplink resources from base station and the uplink resources identified by LCG ID, KANG doesn’t explicitly disclose UE obtaining uplink resources from base station by “DCI0”.
YI discloses wherein the UE obtains the indication of the uplink resources from the base station by DCI0 (see ¶0123; DCI0_0 containing uplink scheduling grants containing resource allocation to a cell).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for UE to obtain the indication of the uplink resources from the base station by DC10; Wherein the uplink resources in the indication are identified by at least one of the following identifiers (IDs): LCG ID as taught by YI, in the system of KANG, so that it would improve delay/latency (YI, see ¶0003).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
HE (US 20180279150) FIG. 1-5.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mominur Rashid whose telephone number is (571)272-0535. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 7 AM - 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Ian N Moore can be reached on (571) 272-3085. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Mominur Rashid Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/MOMINUR RASHID/Examiner, Art Unit 2469 /Ian N Moore/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2469