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 .
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) 27, 30, 31, 32, 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) in view of Wu (CN 113068222 A filed 2020-01-02) , Talebi Fard et al. (US 20200100319 A1 dated 2020-03-26)
As to claim 27, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) discloses (New) A method in a User Equipment, UE, configuration update procedure performed by a UE, the method comprising:
receiving, from a network node (AMF), a configuration update command (UE Configuration Update Command, Fig3) that comprises information that indicates to the UE that the UE is to perform a registration procedure ([0203]), and an indication which indicates whether or not the UE is to maintain an existing N1 non-access stratum, NAS, connection ([0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) of the UE (Paragraph [0196] – “ The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command […] to the UE.” [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”);
Shan et al. does not explicitly recite but in an analogous art, Wu (CN 113068222 A filed 2020-01-02) discloses wherein the indication is a one-bit indication that indicates that the UE is required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a first binary value and indicates that the UE is not required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a second binary value (Description Page 2 – “In the above scheme, the first sending unit is used for sending the user equipment configuration update request message to the terminal device; the specific reserved bit position in the user equipment configuration update request message is a preset value, the reserved bit position is preset value for indicating the first AMF load balance” Description Page 8 – “FIG. 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of a load balancing processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; As shown in FIG. 5, load balancing processing method of the embodiment of the application system may include: UE, gNB, the first AMF (i.e., old AMF) and the second AMF (i.e., new AMF), then the method comprises: step 1, when the network management triggers the first AMF to migrate part of the user, the first AMF before the current user service finishes N1 release, sending the user equipment configuration update request message (UE Configuration Update Request) to the appointed UE.” Here the load balancing processing method performs an N1 release as part of a user equipment configuration update request message. And the user equipment configuration update request message contains a specific reserved bit position used in this load balancing.
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 the update messaging in the network selection policy in the wireless network of Shan et al. to include the load balancing and configuration update message with a one-bit indication for releasing the N1 existing NAS connection as taught by Wu et al. in order to provide efficient and reliable method for release of network resources as mentioned.
performing one or more actions ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command) in accordance with the configuration update command ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command), wherein performing the one or more actions comprise performing the registration procedure ([0203]) and releasing or refraining from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection (Fig 3 – there are three paths, path1: 3a, path2: 3b and path3: 3c-3d. Here at 3b, AMF does not trigger AN release procedure and at 3c-3d, AMF triggers AN release procedure, thereby, the reference supports both limitations (releasing or refraining from releasing) in the claim. [0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) in accordance with the indication when performing the registration procedure (Paragraph [0196] – “The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command containing one or more UE parameters (5G-GUTI, TAI List, Allowed NSSAI, Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI, Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN, Mapping Of Configured NSSAI, NITZ, Mobility Restrictions, LADN Information, MICO, Configuration Update Indication, graceful re-register time)”; [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”; [0205] – “3b. If a new Allowed NSSAI and/or a new Configured NSSAI provided by the AMF to the UE does not affect the existing connectivity to slices (i.e. any S-NSSAI(s) the UE is connected to), the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”; [0207] - “4. UE initiates a Registration procedure after the UE enters CM-IDLE state and includes the 5G-GUTI in Access Stratum signaling depending on the indication received from the AMF.”).
Shan reference talks about AMF triggering the NAS connection release. Shan does not disclose that the UE determines whether to release or refrain from releasing the N1 NAS connection. However, a prior art, Talebi Fard et al. (US 20200100319 A1 dated 2020-03-26) discloses releasing or refraining from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection ( Paragraph [0331] – “In an example embodiment, a wireless device (a UE) may request release of a connection (e.g., signaling/control plane connection, user plane connection, non-access stratum NAS connection, RRC connection, and/or the like).”)
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 the wireless network of Shan et al to include the means to the UE releasing the NAS connection as taught by wireless network of Talebi Fard et al. in order to provide efficient and reliable method for release of network resources as mentioned in paragraph [0330].
As to claim 30, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) discloses (New) The method of claim 27, wherein the network node (AMF) is an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF (AMF).
As to claim 31, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) discloses (New) A User Equipment, UE (User Equipment UE), adapted to: receive, from a network node (AMF), a configuration update command (UE Configuration Update Command, Fig3) that comprises information that indicates to the UE that the UE is to perform a registration procedure ([0203]), and an indication which indicates whether or not the UE is to maintain an existing N1 non-access stratum, NAS, connection ([0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) of the UE (Paragraph [0196] – “ The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command […] to the UE.”; [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”),
and perform one or more actions ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command) in accordance with the configuration update command ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command), wherein perform the one or more actions comprise perform the registration procedure ([0203]) and releasing or refraining from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection (Fig 3 – there are three paths, path1: 3a, path2: 3b and path3: 3c-3d. Here at 3b, AMF does not trigger AN release procedure and at 3c-3d, AMF triggers AN release procedure, thereby, the reference supports both limitations (releasing or refraining from releasing) in the claim. [0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) in accordance with the indication when performing the registration procedure (Paragraph [0196] – “The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command containing one or more UE parameters (5G-GUTI, TAI List, Allowed NSSAI, Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI, Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN, Mapping Of Configured NSSAI, NITZ, Mobility Restrictions, LADN Information, MICO, Configuration Update Indication, graceful re-register time)”; [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”; [0205] – “3b. If a new Allowed NSSAI and/or a new Configured NSSAI provided by the AMF to the UE does not affect the existing connectivity to slices (i.e. any S-NSSAI(s) the UE is connected to), the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”; [0207] - “4. UE initiates a Registration procedure after the UE enters CM-IDLE state and includes the 5G-GUTI in Access Stratum signalling depending on the indication received from the AMF.”).
Shan reference talks about AMF triggering the NAS connection release. Shan does not disclose that the UE determines whether to release or refrain from releasing the N1 NAS connection. However, a prior art, Talebi Fard et al. (US 20200100319 A1 dated 2020-03-26) discloses releasing or refraining from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection in accordance with the indication when performing the registration procedure ( Paragraph [0331] – “In an example embodiment, a wireless device (a UE) may request release of a connection (e.g., signaling/control plane connection, user plane connection, non-access stratum NAS connection, RRC connection, and/or the like).”)
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 the wireless network of Shan et al to include the means to the UE releasing the NAS connection as taught by wireless network of Talebi Fard et al. in order to provide efficient and reliable method for release of network resources as mentioned in paragraph [0330].
As to claim 32, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) discloses (New) A User Equipment, UE, comprising: one or more transmitters; one or more receivers; and processing circuitry associated with the one or more transmitters and the one or more receivers, the processing circuitry configured to cause the UE to: receive, from a network node (AMF), a configuration update command (UE Configuration Update Command, Fig3) that comprises information that indicates to the UE that the UE is to perform a registration procedure ([0203]), and an indication which indicates whether or not the UE is to maintain an existing N1 non-access stratum, NAS, connection ([0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) of the UE (Paragraph [0196] – “ The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command […] to the UE.”; [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”),
Shan et al. does not explicitly recite but in an analogous art, Wu (CN 113068222 A filed 2020-01-02) discloses wherein the indication is a one-bit indication that indicates that the UE is required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a first binary value and indicates that the UE is not required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a second binary value (Description Page 2 – “In the above scheme, the first sending unit is used for sending the user equipment configuration update request message to the terminal device; the specific reserved bit position in the user equipment configuration update request message is a preset value, the reserved bit position is preset value for indicating the first AMF load balance” Description Page 8 – “FIG. 5 is an interactive schematic diagram of a load balancing processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention; As shown in FIG. 5, load balancing processing method of the embodiment of the application system may include: UE, gNB, the first AMF (i.e., old AMF) and the second AMF (i.e., new AMF), then the method comprises: step 1, when the network management triggers the first AMF to migrate part of the user, the first AMF before the current user service finishes N1 release, sending the user equipment configuration update request message (UE Configuration Update Request) to the appointed UE.” Here load balancing processing method talks about N1 release. The reserved bit position is preset value for indicating the first AMF load balance); and
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 the update messaging in the network selection policy in the wireless network of Shan et al. to include the load balancing and configuration update message with a one-bit indication for releasing the N1 existing NAS connection as taught by Wu et al. in order to provide efficient and reliable method for release of network resources as mentioned.
perform one or more actions ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command) in accordance with the configuration update command ([0196] - The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command), wherein perform the one or more actions comprise perform the registration procedure ([0203]) and determining whether to release or refrain from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection (Fig 3 – there are three paths, path1: 3a, path2: 3b and path3: 3c-3d. Here at 3b, AMF does not trigger AN release procedure and at 3c-3d, AMF triggers AN release procedure, thereby, the reference supports both limitations (releasing or refraining from releasing) in the claim. [0205] – “…the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”) in accordance with the indication when performing the registration procedure (Paragraph [0196] – “The AMF sends UE Configuration Update command containing one or more UE parameters (5G-GUTI, TAI List, Allowed NSSAI, Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI, Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN, Mapping Of Configured NSSAI, NITZ, Mobility Restrictions, LADN Information, MICO, Configuration Update Indication, graceful re-register time)”; [0203] – “If the Configuration Update Indication requires a Registration procedure, depending on the parameters included in the UE Configuration Update command steps 3a or 3b-4 or 3c-3d-4 are executed”; [0205] – “3b. If a new Allowed NSSAI and/or a new Configured NSSAI provided by the AMF to the UE does not affect the existing connectivity to slices (i.e. any S-NSSAI(s) the UE is connected to), the AMF needs not release the NAS signaling connection for the UE”; [0207] - “4. UE initiates a Registration procedure after the UE enters CM-IDLE state and includes the 5G-GUTI in Access Stratum signalling depending on the indication received from the AMF.”).
Shan reference talks about AMF triggering the NAS connection release. Shan does not disclose that the UE determines whether to release or refrain from releasing the N1 NAS connection. However, a prior art, Talebi Fard et al. (US 20200100319 A1 dated 2020-03-26) discloses determining whether to release or refrain from releasing the existing N1 NAS connection ( Paragraph [0331] – “In an example embodiment, a wireless device (a UE) may request release of a connection (e.g., signaling/control plane connection, user plane connection, non-access stratum NAS connection, RRC connection, and/or the like).”)
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 the wireless network of Shan et al to include the means to the UE releasing the NAS connection as taught by wireless network of Talebi Fard et al. in order to provide efficient and reliable method for release of network resources as mentioned in paragraph [0330].
As to claim 35, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) discloses (New) The UE of claim 32, wherein the network node (AMF) is an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF (AMF).
Claim 29, 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) as applied in claim 27, 32 and further in view of Lee et al. (US 20210136675 A1 dated 2019-11-06)
As to claim 29, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) does not explicitly recite but in an analogous art, Lee et al. (US 20210136675 A1 dated 2019-11-06) discloses (New) The method of claim 27, wherein the indication is a general indication ([0156] – “… a corresponding indicator”) that is applicable to two or more reasons (Paragraph [0156] – “The reason the AMF 121 transmits …”) for the configuration update command (Paragraph [0156] – “The reason the AMF 121 transmits, to the UE 100, the De-registration request message or the UE Configuration Update Command message including a corresponding indicator (e.g., the indication parameter indicating whether a Registration procedure is requested) may be to indicate or control the UE 100 to re-perform a registration procedure, when the UE 100 receives the message”)
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 the wireless network of Shan et al to include the means to the use of indicator applicable to configuration update command as taught by wireless network of Lee et al. in order to use indicator that is applicable to two or more reasons for the configuration update command.
As to claim 34, Shan (US 20190268835 A1 dated 20180518) does not explicitly recite but in an analogous art, Lee et al. (US 20210136675 A1 dated 2019-11-06) discloses (New) The UE of claim 32, wherein the indication is a general indication ([0156] – “… a corresponding indicator”) that is applicable to two or more reasons (Paragraph [0156] – “The reason the AMF 121 transmits …”) for the configuration update command (Paragraph [0156] – “The reason the AMF 121 transmits, to the UE 100, the De-registration request message or the UE Configuration Update Command message including a corresponding indicator (e.g., the indication parameter indicating whether a Registration procedure is requested) may be to indicate or control the UE 100 to re-perform a registration procedure, when the UE 100 receives the message”)
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 the wireless network of Shan et al to include the means to the use of indicator applicable to configuration update command as taught by wireless network of Lee et al. in order to use indicator that is applicable to two or more reasons for the configuration update command.
Remarks/Arguments
All the remarks and arguments posted on 05/07/2026 have been reviewed.
In response to the Applicant’s arguments, “Kim's NAS reflective QoS indicator serves an entirely different purpose - it relates to QoS flow configuration, not to NAS connection release decisions during a configuration update procedure. Accordingly, since Kim does not cure the deficiencies of Shan and Talebi Fard with respect to wherein the indication is a one-bit indication that indicates that the UE is required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a first binary value and indicates that the UE is not required to release the existing NAS connection if set to a second binary value, withdrawal of this rejection is respectfully requested.”, the Examiner agrees. The rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further search and consideration, a new ground of rejection has been found in prior art, Wu (CN 113068222 A filed 2020-01-02). The details are provided under the respective claims.
Conclusion
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/ABDULLAH AL MAMUN/Examiner, Art Unit 2646
/MATTHEW D. ANDERSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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