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 .
This is in response to the application filed 1/21/2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 1/21/2025 has been considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 77 is objected to because of the following informalities: The claim currently has a typo and ends with a semi-colon which could be remedied with a period instead.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 68-87 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Centonza et al., US PGPub 2019/0246445 A1.
Regarding claim 68, Centonza et al., shows a method at a Radio Access Network (RAN) node for selecting one or more User Equipments (UEs) for Minimization of Drive Test (MDT)(Management based MDT), the method comprising: receiving UE selection information indicating one or more criteria for selecting UEs for MDT; and selecting the one or more UEs for MDT based on at least the received UE selection information (Fig. 4-9; [0093]-[0175] i.e. Of the Masked IMEISV IE is contained in the initial context setup request).
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Regarding claim 69, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 68, further comprising: receiving user consent information associated with the one or more UEs, wherein the step of selecting the one or more UEs for MDT is further based on at least the received user consent information ([0032] and [0093]-[0175] Table 9.1.4.1 and 3).
Regarding claim 70, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 69, wherein the user consent information associated with each of the UEs comprises a list of Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) where MDT ([0136] i.e. MDT PLMN List) is allowed for the corresponding UE (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
d. Regarding claim 71, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 68, wherein the one or more criteria indicate at least one of: one or more Masked International Mobile Equipment Identifier and Software Versions (IMEISVs) (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]); one or more UE capabilities; one or more types of service; one or more mobility states; one or more frequencies; one or more frequency bands; and one or more network slices (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
e. Regarding claim 72, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 71, wherein at least one of the following applies: when the criteria indicate the list of PLMNs, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT is connected to at least one of the PLMNs in the list; the one or more masked IMEISVs comprise at least one masked IMEISV defined in Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 38.413, V17.1.1 and/or any of its preceding releases; when the criteria indicate the one or more masked IMEISVs, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT has an IMEISV matched with at least one of the one or more masked IMEISVs; the one or more UE capabilities comprise at least one UE capability defined in 3GPP TS 38.306, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; when the criteria indicate the one or more UE capabilities, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT supports all of the one or more UE capabilities; the one or more types of service are classified by at least one of: one or more service identifiers, one or more 5G Quality of Service (QoS) Identifiers (5QIs) associated to one or more QoS flows, one or more QoS Class Identifiers (QCIs) associated to one or more Data Radio Bearers (DRBs), whether a service is a Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) service or a non-GBR service, and one or more establishment causes; when the criteria indicate the one or more types of service, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT supports at least one of the one or more types of services; the one or more mobility states comprise at least one mobility state defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; when the criteria indicate the one or more mobility states, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT has one of the one or more mobility states; the one or more frequencies and/or one or more frequency bands are indicated by at least one of: one or more licensed frequencies, one or more unlicensed frequencies, Frequency Range 1 (FR1) and/or Frequency Range 2 (FR2), one or more Absolute Radio Frequency Channel Number (ARFCN) values, and one or more frequency band indexes; when the criteria indicate the one or more frequencies and/or frequency bands, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT is using at least one of the one or more frequencies and/or at least one of the one or more frequency bands; and when the criteria indicate the one or more network slices, each of the one or more UEs selected for MDT is using at least one of the one or more network slices (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
f. Regarding claim 73, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 68, further comprising: receiving one or more indicators together with or separately from the UE selection information, each of which indicates a minimum number of UEs that should be selected for MDT under a corresponding condition (Fig. 4, Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
g. Regarding claim 74, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 73, wherein the one or more indicators indicate at least one of: a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per MDT measurement configuration; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per cell; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per Tracking Area (TA);a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per PLMN ; and a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per RAN node (Fig. 4, Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
h. Regarding claim 75, Centonza et al., shows a method at a management system for facilitating a RAN node in selecting one or more UEs for MDT, the method comprising: transmitting, to the RAN node, UE selection information indicating one or more criteria for selecting UEs for MDT (Fig. 4-9, Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
i. Regarding claim 76, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 75, wherein the criteria indicate at least one of: one or more Masked IMEISVs; one or more UE capabilities; one or more types of service; one or more mobility states; one or more frequencies; one or more frequency bands; and one or more network slices (Fig. 4-9, Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
j. Regarding claim 77, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 76, wherein at least one of the following applies: the one or more masked IMEISVs comprise at least one masked IMEISV defined in 3GPP TS 38.413, V17.1.1 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more UE capabilities comprise at least one UE capability defined in 3GPP TS 38.306, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more types of service are classified by at least one of: one or more service identifiers, one or more 5QIs associated to one or more QoS flows, one or more QCIs associated to one or more DRBs, whether a service is a GBR service or a non-GBR service, and one or more establishment causes; the one or more mobility states comprise at least one mobility state defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more frequencies and/or one or more frequency bands are indicated by at least one of: one or more licensed frequencies, one or more unlicensed frequencies, FR1 and/or FR2, one or more ARFCN values, and one or more frequency band indexes; and the UE selection information is transmitted in an MDT configuration from the management system to the RAN node(Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175])
l. Regarding claim 78, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 75, further comprising: transmitting, to the RAN node, one or more indicators together with or separately from the UE selection information, each of which indicating a minimum number of UEs that should be selected for MDT under a corresponding condition (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
m. Regarding claim 79, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 78, wherein the one or more indicators indicate at least one of: a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per MDT measurement configuration; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per cell; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per TA; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per PLMN; and a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per RAN node (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0009], [0076] and [0093]-[0175] i.e. multiple receivers and transmitters/MIMO/ to wireless devices).
n. Regarding claim 80, Centonza et al., shows a method at a CN node for facilitating a RAN node in selecting one or more UEs for MDT, the method comprising: transmitting, to the RAN node, UE selection information indicating one or more criteria for selecting UEs for MDT (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
o. Regarding claim 81, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 80, further comprising: transmitting, to the RAN node, user consent information associated to one or more UEs (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175] and [0076] for multiple receivers/transmitters/wireless devices with MIMO).
p. Regarding claim 82, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 81, wherein the user consent information associated with each of the UEs comprises a list of PLMNs where MDT is allowed for the corresponding UE (Fig. 4-9; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
q. Regarding claim 83, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 80, wherein the criteria indicate at least one of: one or more Masked IMEISVs[0113]; one or more UE capabilities; one or more types of service; one or more mobility states; one or more frequencies; one or more frequency bands; and one or more network slices (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
r. Regarding claim 84, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 83, wherein at least one of the following applies: the one or more masked IMEISVs comprise at least one masked IMEISV defined in 3GPP TS 38.413, V17.1.1 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more UE capabilities comprise at least one UE capability defined in 3GPP TS 38.306, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more types of service are classified by at least one of: one or more service identifiers, one or more SQIs associated to one or more QoS flows, one or more QCIs associated to one or more DRBs, whether a service is a GBR service or a non-GBR service [0126], and one or more establishment causes; the one or more mobility states comprise at least one mobility state defined in 3GPP TS 38.304, V17.0.0 and/or any of its preceding releases; the one or more frequencies and/or one or more frequency bands are indicated by at least one of: one or more licensed frequencies, one or more unlicensed frequencies, FR1 and/or FR2, one or more ARFCN values, and one or more frequency band indexes; and the UE selection information is transmitted in at least one of an interface management related message and a UE related message (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
s. Regarding claim 85, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 80, further comprising: transmitting, to the RAN node, one or more indicators together with or separately from the UE selection information, each of which indicating a minimum number of UEs that should be selected for MDT under a corresponding condition (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
t. Regarding claim 86, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 85, wherein the one or more indicators indicate at least one of: a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per MDT measurement configuration; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per cell; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per TA; a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per PLMN; and a minimum number of UEs that should be selected per RAN node (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
v. Regarding claim 87, Centonza et al., shows the method of claim 80, wherein when the UE selection information indicates multiple criteria for selecting UEs, each of the multiple criteria has an associated priority [0103] level (Fig. 4; Table 9.1.4.1 and 3; [0093]-[0175]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Talebi Fard et al., US PGPub 20200314701 A1, is cited for showing a RAN/NG-RAN with AMF context messaging Fig 18 for consideration when making amendments.
Kim et al., US PGPub 2019/0230723 A1, is cited for the UE RRC and capability (see Fig. 1 [0388]-[0407]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAHVOSH J NIKMANESH whose telephone number is (571)270-5549. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen Pan can be reached at (571)272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Seahvosh Nikmanesh/ Examiner, Art Unit 2649
/YUWEN PAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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