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 .
Claims 59-78 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed April 29, 2025 have been fully considered.
Applicant argues that the prior art does not teach “registering at the first network function information relating to an analytic, wherein the information relating to the analytic comprises information identifying a user equipment (UE), information identifying the analytic, and at least one analytic criterion that is associated with the analytic. Examiner respectfully disagrees.
Marquezan teaches at least in paras. [0068] registering information “support a UE registration” relating to an analytic via an analytics subscription request that is stored in an “Analytics Function, e.g. a NWDAF.” Marquezan further teaches in para. [0075] that the “type of feedback (analytics) generated by Analytics Function 100” ..to have a direct impact on ... a specific device” is designed to be relevant for the target device 110 (consumer).” Further, Table 3 specifically identifies a UE ID as information about each UE session once a subscription is registered. Therefore, the registered analytics information clearly includes UE identifying information.
Marquezan further teaches in para. [0069] that the “information relating to an analytic” includes information identifying the analytic because in para. [0069] Marquezan teaches that “the support request 111 specifies a reusable and/or specific feedback type 112 (“type”) and a target information 113 (“info”).” which Examiner interprets as information identifying the analytic. This is shown in Fig. 1:
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Marquezan teaches information related to the analytic as including “at least one analytic criterion” because paras. [0070] clearly teaches that “the feedback 101 is generated and sent according to the feedback type 112 in the support request 111, and concerns the target information 113 indicated in the support request 111.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 59-67 are allowed.
The prior art does not either alone or in combination teach or suggest “registering at the first network function information relating to an analytic, wherein the information relating to the analytic comprises information identifying a user equipment (UE), information identifying the analytic, and at least one analytic criterion that is associated with the analytic” combined with “responsive to the UE meeting the at least one analytic criterion, communicating from the third network function to the first network function a request that data collection be activated for the analytic; and activating data collection for the analytic at the first network function”.
Each of claims 60-67 depend from claim 59 and are allowable for at least these reasons.
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 68-78 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat. Pub. 20210168651 to Marquezan et al. (hereinafter Marquezan) in view of US Pat. Pub. 20220039046 to Iskren Ianev et al. (hereinafter Ianev).
Regarding claim 68, Marquezan in view of Ianev teaches A method of activating data collection for an analytic at a first network function, the method comprising:
registering information relating to an analytic, wherein the information relating to the analytic comprises information identifying a user equipment (UE), information identifying the analytic, and at least one analytic criterion that is associated with the analytic; (Marquezan teaches at least in paras. [0068] registering information “support a UE registration” relating to an analytic via an analytics subscription request that is stored in an “Analytics Function, e.g. a NWDAF.” Marquezan further teaches in para. [0075] that the “type of feedback (analytics) generated by Analytics Function 100” ..to have a direct impact on ... a specific device” is designed to be relevant for the target device 110 (consumer).” Further, Table 3 specifically identifies a UE ID as information about each UE session once a subscription is registered. Therefore, the registered analytics information clearly includes UE identifying information.
Marquezan further teaches in para. [0069] that the “information relating to an analytic” includes information identifying the analytic because in para. [0069] Marquezan teaches that “the support request 111 specifies a reusable and/or specific feedback type 112 (“type”) and a target information 113 (“info”).” which Examiner interprets as information identifying the analytic. This is shown in Fig. 1:
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Marquezan teaches information related to the analytic as including “at least one analytic criterion” because paras. [0070] clearly teaches that “the feedback 101 is generated and sent according to the feedback type 112 in the support request 111, and concerns the target information 113 indicated in the support request 111.”
receiving, from a third network function, a request that data collection be activated ; (Examiner interprets “a third network function” as “a network function” because a first and second network function is not identified or given antecedent basis). Marquezan para. [0089] teaches that “Optionally, the NF 110, if necessary, triggers a configuration and data collection” Therefore, a signaling message associated with the analytics subscription causes a network function that is NOT the NWDAF causes the NWDAF to initiate or provide data collection.
Marquezan does not specifically identify that the data activation is “for the analytic”.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches data collection be activated for the analytic. (Ianev para. [0101] teaches “The reporting method information element indicates to the UE 30 when the collected data to be reported to the NWDAF 72. It can be indicated by time period, certain condition to be met. For example, if the analytics information is “UE in/out of a designated area”, this parameter may be set as when UE in/out counter exceeds a certain defined number/value (e.g. a threshold value) or when the events of entering and/or leaving the designated area occur.”
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach activation of data collection for an analytic. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 69, Marquezan does NOT teach The method of claim 68, wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the third network function, a request that data collection be deactivated for the analytic; and deactivating data collection for the analytic. Examiner interprets “the third network function” as “another network function” since no antecedent basis exists for a first or second network function.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches receiving, from the third network function, a request that data collection be deactivated for the analytic (Ianev paras. [0120] –[0131] teaches communicating from to a NWDAF that data collection is deactivated. As shown in Ianev, the deactivation includes multiple network functions by unsubscribing to each. As taught in para. [0131], and Fig. 2, the response to unsubscribing is from multiple network functions “ like AMF 71, NSSF, PCRF, SMF, UPF and more” which Examiner interprets as including a communication from a third network function SMF.)
and
deactivating data collection for the analytic. (Ianev para. [0129] teaches that the NWDAF, deactivates/unsubscribes “in order to make a last report to the services subscribed by the NWDAF 72.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach deactivation of data collection for an analytic. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 70, Marquezan does NOT teach The method of claim 68, wherein the request that data collection be activated for the analytic further comprises the information relating to the analytic.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches wherein the request that data collection be activated for the analytic further comprises the information relating to the analytic. (Ianev teaches that data collection activated for the NWDAF comprises information relating to the analytic (e.g. UE location) and in para. [0101] teaches “The reporting method information element indicates to the UE 30 when the collected data to be reported to the NWDAF 72. It can be indicated by time period, certain condition to be met. For example, if the analytics information is “UE in/out of a designated area”, this parameter may be set as when UE in/out counter exceeds a certain defined number/value (e.g. a threshold value) or when the events of entering and/or leaving the designated area occur.” )
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach data collection related to an analytic. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 71, Marquezan does NOT teach The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises a location identifier.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises a location identifier. (Ianev para. [0042] teaches “The analytics information to be collected information element is an optional parameter from the UDM/UDR 75 for the purpose to provide the UE 30 with detailed information about how the UE 30 measures statistics for the information collection indicated in the UE analytics report subscription. This is a parameter to supplement the analytics information. For example, if the analytics information is “UE in/out of a designated area”, this parameter may contain information that is used to identify a designated area (e.g. a cell, list of cells, TA or any other way defined geographical area).” Examiner interprets the parameter as a location identifier.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach a location identifier as an analytic criterion. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 72, Marquezan teaches The method of claim 68, wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises an application identifier. (Marquezan teaches in paras. [0070]-[0074] that during the registration processes Analytics Function 100 is provided with a support request for “specific feedback” about “target information”. Marquezan para. [0074] teaches that the target information 113 “is intended to support that different NFs, application, and/or OAM consume reusable feedback 101”.
Further, Table 3 illustrates an Application ID, mapped to application identifier that is included in the “historical data” analytics collected:
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Regarding claim 73, Marquezan teaches The method of claim 68, wherein the method further comprises: communicating the information relating to the analytic to a second network function. (Marquezan para. [0179] teaches that the NWDAF mapped as first network function, communicates with the UDR/OAM mapped as a second network function, information relating to the analytic via subscribing via Nudm_DataManagement subscribe () to receive information about historical UE sessions. This is illustrated in Table 2:
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).
Regarding claim 74, Marquezan teaches A method of operation of a second network function, the method comprising: (Examiner notes that although the preamble recites “second” there is no second network function in the body of the claim. Also, the second network function has no nexus to any meaning from any other claim due to being independent. )
registering information relating to an analytic, wherein the information relating to the analytic comprises information identifying a user equipment (UE), information identifying the analytic, and at least one criterion that is associated with the analytic; (Marquezan teaches at least in paras. [0068] registering information “support a UE registration” relating to an analytic via an analytics subscription request that is stored in an “Analytics Function, e.g. a NWDAF.” Marquezan further teaches in para. [0075] that the “type of feedback (analytics) generated by Analytics Function 100” ..to have a direct impact on ... a specific device” is designed to be relevant for the target device 110 (consumer).” Further, Table 3 specifically identifies a UE ID as information about each UE session once a subscription is registered. Therefore, the registered analytics information clearly includes UE identifying information.
Marquezan further teaches in para. [0069] that the “information relating to an analytic” includes information identifying the analytic because in para. [0069] Marquezan teaches that “the support request 111 specifies a reusable and/or specific feedback type 112 (“type”) and a target information 113 (“info”).” which Examiner interprets as information identifying the analytic. This is shown in Fig. 1:
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Marquezan teaches information related to the analytic as including “at least one analytic criterion” because paras. [0070] clearly teaches that “the feedback 101 is generated and sent according to the feedback type 112 in the support request 111, and concerns the target information 113 indicated in the support request 111.”)
receiving, from a third network function, initiation information corresponding to the UE; Examiner notes that Applicant’s specification states that “initiation information” comprises a UE identifier in lines 24-25 on page 11. (Marquezan para. [0167] –[0168] teaches that sets of information supporting NWDAF 100 (mapped as second network function) in obtaining information supporting “the smarter 3GPP UE Registration procedure” includes Table 3 which lists UE ID. As shown in Table 3, the initiation information aka UE ID is received from source SMF mapped as third network function. The SMF interacts with the NWDAF, as shown in Table 3 to provide the UE ID)
and
Marquezan does NOT specifically teach communicating, to the third network function, at least a part of the information relating to the analytic, wherein the at least a part of the information relating to the analytic comprises the at least one analytic criterion.
However, in the analogous art of 5G 3GPP wireless communications, Ianev teaches communicating, to the third network function, at least a part of the information relating to the analytic, wherein the at least a part of the information relating to the analytic comprises the at least one analytic criterion (Ianev para. [0059] teaches “The NWDAF 72 collects the analytics information from the UE 30 and uses it for network automation and optimisation. Network functions like NSSF, AMF 71, PCF, SMF, UPF, UDM/UDR 75 and more may subscribe with the NWDAF 72 for one or for a set of analytics information and use that information for the purpose of network automation and optimisation and also for mobile terminal monitoring and improvements.” Examiner maps NWDAF as the second network function and SMF as a third network function subscribing to the analytics information mapped as information relating to the analytic information. Ianev also teaches in Fig. 2 and para. [0037] that the information relating to an analytic comprises at least one analytic criterion in that “the analytics information to be collected” is included in Step 1, when the “Subscribe” takes place and defines the criterion for analysis.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach information relating to the analytic comprises the at least one analytic criterion. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 75, Marquezan does NOT teach The method of claim 74, wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises a location identifier.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises a location identifier.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises a location identifier. (Ianev para. [0042] teaches “The analytics information to be collected information element is an optional parameter from the UDM/UDR 75 for the purpose to provide the UE 30 with detailed information about how the UE 30 measures statistics for the information collection indicated in the UE analytics report subscription. This is a parameter to supplement the analytics information. For example, if the analytics information is “UE in/out of a designated area”, this parameter may contain information that is used to identify a designated area (e.g. a cell, list of cells, TA or any other way defined geographical area).” Examiner interprets the parameter as a location identifier.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach a location identifier as an analytic criterion. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 76, Marquezan teaches The method of claim 74, wherein the at least one analytic criterion comprises an application identifier. (Marquezan teaches in paras. [0070]-[0074] that during the registration processes Analytics Function 100 is provided with a support request for “specific feedback” about “target information”. Marquezan para. [0074] teaches that the target information 113 “is intended to support that different NFs, application, and/or OAM consume reusable feedback 101”.
Further, Table 3 illustrates an Application ID, mapped to application identifier that is included in the “historical data” analytics collected:
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Regarding claim 77, Marquezan does NOT teach The method of claim 74, wherein the step of registering the information relating to the analytic comprises:
receiving, from a network function for network exposure (NEF), the information relating to the analytic; and
registering the information relating to the analytic.
However, in the analogous art of 3GPP 5G wireless communications, Ianev teaches wherein the step of registering the information relating to the analytic comprises:
receiving, from a network function for network exposure (NEF), the information relating to the analytic; (Ianev para. [0102] teaches “ The NEF 76 includes UE analytics report AF, analytics information to be collected and the reporting method information elements to the Nudm_EventExposure_Subscribe message.”
This is shown in Fig. 2:
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registering the information relating to the analytic. (Ianev, Fig. 2 illustrates the subscription for UE analytics report AF at the UDM 75.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach interactions between a second network function and an NEF for an analytic. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
Regarding claim 78, Marquezan does NOT specifically teach The method of claim 74, wherein the step of registering the information relating to the analytic comprises:
receiving from a first network function the information relating to the analytic; and
registering the information relating to the analytic.
However, in the analogous art of 5G 3GPP wireless communications, Ianev teaches receiving from a first network function the information relating to the analytic (Ianev teaches in Fig. 3 an AMF mapped as a first network function coupled to NWDAF mapped as a second network function receiving information relating to UE analytics in step 6:
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registering the information relating to the analytic (Ianev teaches the NWADF registering information received from the AMF in para. [0120] which teaches “Network functions like NSSF , AMF 71 , PCF , SMF , UPF , UDM / UDR 75 and more may subscribe with the NWDAF 72 for one or for a set of analytics information and use that information for the purpose of network automation and optimisation and also for mobile terminal improvement and monitoring.” Examiner interprets the subscribing of SMF with NWDAF as the second network function (NWDAF) registering with the SMF (first network function) information relating to the analytic (such as UE analytics information).)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective date of the invention to have combined Marquezan with Ianev to teach interactions between a second network function and an SMF to receive information related to an analytic and register the information. Each of Marquezan and Ianev teach wireless communications and analytics. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine Ianev with Marquezan to provide a technology for supporting performance improvements and supervision of the mobile terminals as taught in Ianev para. [0023].
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 MARGARET MARIE ANDERSON whose telephone number is (703)756-1068. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/MARGARET MARIE ANDERSON/ Examiner, Art Unit 2412 /CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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