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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 15, 2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 8, and 18-32 are currently pending and an Office action on the merits follows.
Response to Arguments
On pages 14-16 of the applicant’s remarks, the applicant argues that Wei fails to teach “the UE transmits a registration request message that includes information indicating whether the UE supports a first type of NSSAI indicating at least one S-NSSAI that is available in part of a registration area of the UE.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. Wei Fig. 4 and paragraph [0129] explain a UE transmitting a registration request includes a network slice that the UE wants to initiate. Wei paragraphs [0110]-[0111] explain that a network slice, NSSAI, includes a collection of S-NSSAIs that may comprise a Slice/Service Type. The UE wanting to initiate with the network slice including S—NSSAI with SST indicate that the UE supports the SST. Additionally, Wei [0107] explains that the UE may also transmit information that would limit the received slice information in the registration accept message to the network slices that can be used by the UE. The present claim set broadly recites a “type of NSSAI…” which does not clarify the claim in such a way that would overcome the Wei reference. Therefore, the rejection under 35 USC § 102 as being anticipated by Wei has been maintained as further explained below.
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)(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) 1, 8, and 18-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pub No.: US-20200205065-A1 (herein “Wei”).
Claims 1, 8, 18, 19, 20, and 21
Consider claim 1, Wei teaches An Access and Mobility management Function (AMF) (see Wei Fig. 1, note AMF 114) apparatus comprising:
at least one memory (see Wei [0070] note memory) configured to store instructions; and
at least one processor (see Wei [0151] note processor) configured to execute the instructions to:
receive, from a User Equipment a registration request message (see Wei Fig. 4, [0129] note Registration Request),
wherein the registration request message includes information indicating whether the UE supports a first type of allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, the first type of allowed NSSAI indicating at least one Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) that is available in part of a registration area of the UE, including at least one Tracking Area (TA) in the registration area (see Wei Fig. 4, [0110], 0111], [0129] note the registration request includes a network slice that the UE wants to initiate, where a Network slice, NSSAI, includes a collection of S-NSSAIs that may comprise a Slice/Service Type SST), and
wherein the registration request message includes a Requested NSSAI including at least one S-NSSAI (see Wei Fig. 4, [0110], 0111] note the registration request includes a network slice that the UE wants to initiate, therefore the network slice is requested, and where a Network slice, NSSAI, includes a collection of S-NSSAIs that may comprise a Slice/Service Type SST);
based on the information indicating that the UE supports the first type of allowed NSSAI and based on the at least one S-NSSAI being allowed in the at least one TA of the part of the registration area, determine that at least one S-NSSAI to be included in the first type of allowed NSSAI (see Wei Fig. 2, Fig. 4, [0107], [0110], [0111], [0132]-[0135] note the UE transmitting the registration request requesting a network slice that the UE wants to initiate including the NSSAI including a collection of S-NSSAIs that may comprises an SST. Also AMF may receive additional information from the UE indicating network slices that can be used by the UE. The AMF then may respond with a registration accept including slice support information including the TAI list and the allowed network slices in the form of corresponding S-NSSAIs); and
send, to the UE, a registration accept message including the first type of Allowed NSSAI and a list of Tracking Area Identity (TAI) for the at least one S-NSSAI, the at least one S-NSSAI being included in the first type of allowed NSSAI (see Wei Fig. 2, Fig. 4, [0107], [0110], [0011],[0132]- [0135] note registration accept message including the slice support information which includes the registration area in the form of the TAI list 204 and indicates allowed network slices in the form of corresponding S-NSSAIs, where an S-NSSAI can comprise an SST for expected network slice behavior in terms of services and features).
Claim(s) 8, 18, 19, 20, and 21 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 1.
Claim 22
Consider claim 22, Wei teaches initiating a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session establishment for the first S-NSSAI included in the at least one S-NSSAI, in a case where the UE is in a TA included in the at least one TA (see Wei [0005], [0147] note establishing a communication link between the UE and the network for the service of the network slice to be accessed using the TAI list and the supported S-NSSAI of each of slice support area in the TAI list)).
Claims 23, 24, 25, and 26
Consider claim 23, Wei teaches wherein the list only includes at least one TAI that corresponds to the at least one TA where the at least one S-NSSAI is available (see Wei Fig. 2, [0109], [0135] note the Registration Accept message indicating the slice support information including the allowed network slices in the form of corresponding S-NSSAIs and the TAI list).
Claim(s) 24, 25, and 26 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 23.
Claim 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32
Consider claim 27, Wei teaches wherein the at least one S-NSSAI including the first type of Allowed NSSAI is not included in a second type of Allowed NSSAI (see Wei [0143]-[0144] note the UE allocated a registration area according to two types of allocation where the slice support areas have different supported slices), and
wherein any S-NSSAI included in the second type of Allowed NSSAI is available in all TAs in the registration area (see Wei [0143]-[0144] note the UE allocated a registration area where the network slice support should be the same in all slice support areas).
Claim(s) 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 27.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS C HAMMONDS whose telephone number is (571)270-3193. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ALISON T. SLATER can be reached at (571)270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS HAMMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647