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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/06/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants argue “Since there is no order indication, neither Zong nor Samsung, alone or in combination, teach or suggest before transmitting the subscription data comprising the group data, transmitting another subscription data comprising an identifier of the group data to the second network node as recited in claim 1.”
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. The claims required another subscription data and group identifier to be transmitted prior to subscription data to be transmitted. Zong is relied upon to teach such transmission, since Zong teaches migration of the users to second AMF. The second AMF needs to be notified of the another subscription data and group identifiers upon migration. The claims are exclusive of migration of users to another AMF. This allows effective monitoring of events for the group member user. The claims are given a broad and reasonable interpretation. Currently, the claims do not define “the another subscription data” and how it is different from the subscription data.
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.
Claim(s) 54-57, 60-65, 67-70, and 73-77 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAMSUNG ET AL: "Provisioning of 5G LAN group configuration parameters", 3GPP DRAFT; S2-1906681 23.502 CR PROVISIOINING OF 5G LAN GROUP CONFIGURATION PARAMETERS - REV9, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES; F-06921, vol. SA WG2, no. Reno, USA; 20190513 - 20190517 17 May 2019, pages 1-13, XP051736432 herein Samsung in view of US 20200404481 A1 herein Zong.
Claim 54, Samsung discloses a method performed by a first network node (figure 4.15.6.2-1, the UDM), the method comprising:
receiving, from a second network node, a request for subscription data for a terminal device (section 4.15.6.2, "0. NF subscribes to UDM notifications of information updates.", figure 4.15.6.2-1, "0. Nudm_SDM_Subscribe request"); and
transmitting, the subscription data, to the second network node, wherein the subscription data comprises identifiers of group data of at least one group to which the terminal device belongs (section 4.15.6.2, "7 . ... UDM notifies the subscribed Network Function (e.g., AMF) of the updated subscriber data via Nudm_SDM_Notification Notify message. a) If the NF is AMF, the UDM performs Nudm_SubscriberDataManagement (SDM)_Notification (SUPI, AMF-Associated parameters, etc.) service operation . ... b) If the NF is SMF, the UDM performs Nudm_SubscriberDataManagement (SDM)_Notification (SUPI, SMF-Associated parameter set, DNN/S-NSSAI, etc.) service operation.", figure 4.15.6.2-1, "7. Nudm_SDM_Notification Notify"; section 4.15.6.1, "In the case of provisioning the 5G VN group information the provisioning information consists of information on 5G VN group."),
wherein the first network node is unified data management (UDM) (section 4.15.6.1).
Samsung may not explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises: before transmitting the subscription data comprising the group data, transmitting another subscription data comprising an identifier of the group data to the second network node.
Zong discloses disclose wherein the method further comprises: before transmitting the subscription data comprising the group data, transmitting another subscription data comprising an identifier of the group data to the second network node (0143, message 3 is received by the AMF from the UDM, which contains a group identifier of the group which the terminal belongs). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Samsung to include transmission of the group identifier as taught by such that a network can continue to perform effective event monitoring for a group member user when the group member user is migrated (0005).
Claim 55, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 54, wherein the request comprises an indicator indicating a type of the subscription data, and the subscription data is obtained based on the indicator (section 4.15.6.2, "7 . ... UDM notifies the subscribed Network Function (e.g., AMF) of the updated subscriber data via Nudm_SDM_Notification Notify message).
Claim 56, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 55, wherein the request further comprises at least one of an identity of the terminal device and an identity of a Public Land Mobile Network, PLMN, that the terminal device is currently visiting ( section 4.15.6.2, "The GPSI identifies the UE", "the UDM resolves the GPSI to SUPI", table 5.2.3.3.1-1, "List of the GPSI (Generic Public Subscription Identifier); see table 5.2.12.2.1-1, "PLMN ID (for the UDR in VPLMN)").
Claim 57, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 54, wherein the group data comprises at least one of the followings: allowed session types; accessible data network name; network slice information; and an application descriptor indicating an operating system and at least one application operating on the terminal device (section 4.15.6.3b).
Claim 60, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 54, further comprising: transmitting a query for the subscription data to a third network node based on the request (section 4.15.6.2, "3. UDM may read from UDR, by means of Nudr_DM_Query, corresponding subscriber information"); and receiving the subscription data from the third network node (4.15.6.2-1,, "3. Nudr_DM_Query" and response).
Claim 61, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 60, further comprising: transmitting an updated subscription data to the second network node based on a change of the group data (4.15.6.2 NEF service operations information flow, 4. DM update).
Claim 62, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 61, wherein the request further comprises information which requires the updated subscription data upon the change of the group data (4.15.6.2, corresponding subscriber information).
Claim 63, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 61, further comprising: receiving the updated subscription data from the third network node (section 4.15.6.2, "The GPSI identifies the UE", "the UDM resolves the GPSI to SUPI").
Claim 64, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 54, wherein the at least one group comprise a 5G virtual network group (4.15.6.2, 5G VN group data).
Claim 65, Samsung discloses the method according to claim 60, wherein the third network node is a unified data repository (4.15.6.2).
Claim 67, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 54. Samsung discloses an apparatus in a first network node, the apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories comprising computer program codes (4.16.5.2, UDM and AMF, since computing machines thus processors and memories)
Claim 68, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 55.
Claim 69, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 56.
Claim 70, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 57.
Claim 73, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 60.
Claim 74, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 55. Samsung discloses a computer-readable medium having computer program codes embodied thereon which, when executed on a computer (4.15.6.2, UDR and AMF thus medium having computer program).
Claim 75, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 55.
Claim 76, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 56.
Claim 77, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 57.
Claim 78, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 58.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20200351980 A1 - An access and mobility management function (AMF) receives, from a first wireless device, a service request message requesting activation of a user plane connection of a PDU session for transmission of data packets to a wireless device group comprising one or more second wireless devices. The service request message comprises a multicast information associated with the wireless device group. A determination is made, based on the service request message, to activate a user plane connection of the wireless device group. A message requesting activation of the user plane connection of the wireless device group is sent to a Session Management Function (SMF).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nishant Divecha can be reached on (571) 270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468
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