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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 11/18/2025 has been entered.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 7-11, 14-15, 22-24, 28-29 and 34-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102)a)(2) as being anticipated by Vejlgaard et al (US 20220159612 A1, hereinafter Vejlgaard).
Consider claims 1, 15, and 29 Vejlgaard discloses a method, a system comprising communication management hardware, and computer-readable storage hardware with instructions for:
providing a mobile communication device first wireless access via a first wireless network in accordance with first subscriber identity information (gNB 102X is a serving gNB for UE 106 in network X, Fig. 1 and paragraph 72; The UE 106 is a multi-USIM UE configured to communicate via multiple networks, paragraph 74);
via a first communication management resource associated with the first wireless network, detecting that the mobile communication device has second wireless access to a second wireless network in accordance with second subscriber identity information (at 202 the UE 106 reports, to LMF 100X, that the UE 106 has multi-USIM capability and is connected to network Y, Fig. 2 and paragraph 78); and
implementing a location management function in the first wireless network to monitor a location of the mobile communication device based on location information received from the second wireless network, the implemented location management function operative to control generation of the location information by the second wireless network via commands communicated from the first wireless network to the second wireless network (At 210, the LMF 100X requests that the LMF 100Y configure the UE 106 for performing a positioning procedure (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.) in network Y. According to at least one example embodiment, the request from the LMF 100X may include a time for the positioning procedure to occur (e.g., so that the uplink SRS transmissions from the UE 106 in network Y are sent relatively close in time to when the uplink SRS transmissions are sent to the UE 106 in network X). The request may also include a UE ID for the UE 106, and the positioning method (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.). In this example, the positioning method is UL-TDOA. The request sent from the LMF 100X to the LMF 100Y may be referred to herein as a cross-network positioning request, paragraph 85; At 220, the LMF 100Y sends position assistance data for the UE 106 in network Y to the LMF 100X .At 222, the LMF 100X jointly estimates the position of the UE 106 based on the UL-TDOA information in network X, the UL-TDOA information from network Y, and the frequency and time offset information provided by the UE 106 at 216, Fig. 2 and paragraphs 97-98).
Consider claim 7, and as applied to claim 1 above, Vejlgaard discloses wherein implementing the location management function in the first wireless network to monitor the location of the mobile communication device includes:
triggering execution of location measurements by the second wireless network, the location measurements based on communications from the second wireless network to the mobile communication device (see steps 226-236 in Fig. 2)
receiving the location measurements from the second wireless network (see step 220 in Fig. 2); and
utilizing the location measurements to determine the location of the mobile communication device (see step 222 in Fig. 2).
Consider claims 8 and 22, and as applied to claims 1 and 15 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses wherein the location management function is a first location management function, the method further comprising:
receiving the location information from a second location management function disposed in the second wireless network, the second location management function operative to generate the location information, the location information indicating the location of the mobile communication device based on wireless communications from multiple wireless base stations in the second wireless network to the mobile communication device (At 220, the LMF 100Y sends position assistance data for the UE 106 in network Y to the LMF 100X, Fig. 2 and paragraph 97; At 230, the serving gNB 102Y configures neighbor gNB 104Y to receive the uplink SRS transmissions from the UE 106 in network, Fig. 2 and paragraph 92)
Consider claims 9 and 23, and as applied to claims 8 and 22 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses wherein the second location management function is operative to collect the location information without control from the first wireless network (At 234, the serving gNB 102Y provides UL-TDOA information to the LMF 100Y in response to the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106. The UL-TDOA information may include the observed or measured time of arrival (e.g., a receipt time stamp) for the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106 at the serving gNB 102Y and the neighbor gNB 104Y (reported to the serving gNB 102Y), Fig. 2 and paragraph 94).
Consider claims 10 and 24, and as applied to claims 8 and 22 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses receiving the location information from the second location management function over an NL7 inter-network link between the first wireless network and the second wireless network (inter-LMF communications, see Fig. 1 [see also 3GPP TS 23.273 version 16.4.0. Release 16, page 22]).
Consider claim 11, and as applied to claim 1, Vejlgaard discloses via the first wireless access, providing notification of a call alert from a first wireless base station in the first wireless network to the mobile communication device (UE (e.g. mobile phone, cell phone, smartphone) receives pages from both networks, see paragraphs 45 and 49) .
Consider claims 14 and 28, and as applied to claims 1 and 15 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses wherein first wireless base stations in the first wireless provide the first wireless access to the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is disposed at the location; and
wherein second wireless base stations in the second wireless provide the second wireless access to the mobile communication device while the mobile communication device is disposed at the location (see Fig. 1).
Consider claim 34, and as applied to claim 1 above, Vejlgaard discloses
via a first network address assigned to the mobile communication device, determining a second network address assigned to a communication management resource in the second wireless network (Referring to FIG. 2, at 202 the UE 106 reports, to LMF 100X, that the UE 106 has multi-USIM capability and is connected to network Y. In at least one example embodiment, the UE 106 may indicate the connection to network Y by reporting the network identifier (ID) of network Y to the LMF 100X, paragraph 78);
establishing a communication link between the location management function in the first wireless network and the communication management resource in the second wireless network based on the second network address (At 210, the LMF 100X requests that the LMF 100Y configure the UE 106 for performing a positioning procedure (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.) in network Y, paragraph 85); and
controlling operation of wireless base stations in the second wireless network via transmission of the commands over the established communication link, the wireless base stations operative to generate travel time information associated with transmission of wireless signals communicated between the wireless base stations and the mobile communication device (At 230, the serving gNB 102Y configures neighbor gNB 104Y to receive the uplink SRS transmissions from the UE 106 in network Y. In one example, the serving gNB 102Y configures and/or assigns, at the neighbor gNB 104Y, the uplink SRS sequence as well as time and frequency (physical) resources for uplink SRS transmission by the UE 106 such that the neighbor gNB 104Y is able to receive the uplink SRS transmissions from the UE 106 in network Y, paragraph 92; At 234, the serving gNB 102Y provides UL-TDOA information to the LMF 100Y in response to the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106. The UL-TDOA information may include the observed or measured time of arrival (e.g., a receipt time stamp) for the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106 at the serving gNB 102Y and the neighbor gNB 104Y (reported to the serving gNB 102Y), paragraph 94).
Consider claim 35, and as applied to claim 34 above, Vejlgaard discloses
wherein implementing the location management function includes: determining the location of the mobile communication device based on the travel time information associated with the transmission of the wireless signals (At 222, the LMF 100X jointly estimates the position of the UE 106 based on the UL-TDOA information in network X, the UL-TDOA information from network Y, and the frequency and time offset information provided by the UE 106 at 216, paragraph 98).
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 30, 31 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vejlgaard in view of Kunz et al (US 20230403640 A1, hereinafter Kunz).
Consider claim 30, and as applied to claim 1 above, Vejlgaard does not expressly disclose wherein detecting that the mobile communication device has second wireless access to the second wireless network further includes: mapping an identity of the mobile communication device to a communication management resource operating in the second wireless network.
In the same field of endeavor, Kunz discloses wherein detecting that the mobile communication device has second wireless access to the second wireless network further includes: mapping an identity of the mobile communication device to a communication management resource operating in the second wireless network (The NEF 404 stores 410 a binding (e.g., a mapping, information indicating a correlation) of the two identifiers (e.g., UE ID, AMF ID) to facilitate responding to future queries, paragraph 90).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Kunz with the teachings of Vejlgaard to correlate a user equipment and an access and mobility management function..
Consider claim 31, and as applied to claim 30 above, Vejlgaard discloses via the network address, communicating the commands from the first wireless network to the second communication management resource, the commands controlling transmission of wireless communications from wireless base stations in the second wireless network to the mobile communication device (At 210, the LMF 100X requests that the LMF 100Y configure the UE 106 for performing a positioning procedure (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.) in network Y, Fig 2 and paragraph 85; see also step 230: CONFIGURE NEIGHBOR gNB in Fig. 2).
Consider claim 32, and as applied to claim 31 above, Vejlgaard discloses in response to communicating the commands from the first wireless network to the second communication management resource in the second wireless network, receiving travel time information indicating travel times associated with the transmission of the wireless communications from the wireless base stations to the communication device (At 210, the LMF 100X requests that the LMF 100Y configure the UE 106 for performing a positioning procedure (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.) in network Y. , paragraph 85; Turning to network Y, in response to the cross-network positioning request from the LMF 100X (at 210), at 226 the LMF 100Y sends a positioning request to the serving gNB 102Y in network Y. The position request requests connection to the UE 106 via the serving gNB 102Y, and a position of the UE 106 using UL-TDOA via the serving gNB 102Y, paragraph 89; At 234, the serving gNB 102Y provides UL-TDOA information to the LMF 100Y in response to the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106. The UL-TDOA information may include the observed or measured time of arrival (e.g., a receipt time stamp) for the uplink SRS transmission from the UE 106 at the serving gNB 102Y and the neighbor gNB 104Y (reported to the serving gNB 102Y), paragraph 94).
Claims 6, 12-13 and 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vejlgaard in view of Tenny et al (US 20200367022 A1, hereinafter Tenny).
Consider claim 6 and as applied to claim 1 above Vejlgaard discloses establishing a first inter-network link between the first wireless network and the second wireless network link (LMF100X-LMF100Y, Fig. 2);
communicating location information from the first wireless network over the first inter-network link (see step 220 in Fig. 2).
However, Vejlgaard does not expressly disclose establishing a second inter-network link between the first wireless network and the second wireless network; and
communicating location information from the first wireless network over the second inter-network link to a gateway management resource of the first wireless network, the gateway management resource operative to distribute the location of the mobile communication device to a remote entity.
In the same field of endeavor, Tenny discloses establishing a second inter-network link between the first wireless network and the second wireless network (link between HGLMC and VGMLC, see Fig. 2); and
communicating location information from the first wireless network over the second inter-network link to a gateway management resource of the first wireless network, the gateway management resource operative to distribute the location of the mobile communication device to a remote entity (the LMF 250 returns the location estimate to the LCS client 210 via the VGMLC 240 and/or the HGMLC 220. The location estimate may be returned using a Nlmf_ProvideLocation Response and/or LCS Service Response message [to LCS Client 210], see steps 16 and 18 in Fig. 2 and paragraph 67).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Tenny with the teachings of Vejlgaard to locate a mobile device in a roaming network.
Consider claims 12 and 26, and as applied to claims 1 and 15 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses controlling operation of wireless base stations in the second wireless network to generate the location information (see steps 226 and 230 in Fig. 2).
However, Vejlgaard is silent regarding detecting a network address of a second communication management resource disposed in the second wireless network.
(In the same field of endeavor, Tenny discloses detecting a network address of a second communication management resource disposed in the second wireless network
(the UDM 230 returns the address of the AMF 260 and possibly an address of visited-GMLC (VGMLC) 240 and/or an address of the LMF 250 in the visited public land mobile network (VPLMN), paragraph 54).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to detect a network address of a communication management resource disposed in the second wireless network as disclosed in Tenny in the system of Vejlgaard in order to communicate with the LMF in the neighboring network.
Consider claim 13 and 27, and as applied claims 12 and 26 respectively above, Vejlgaard discloses wherein the location information includes timing information associated with communications between the mobile communication device and the wireless base stations (The first position measurement information and the second position measurement information may include uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) information or uplink round trip time (UL-RTT) information, paragraph 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to detect a network address of a communication management resource disposed in the second wireless network as disclosed in Tenny in the system of Vejlgaard in order to communicate with the LMF in the neighboring network.
Claim 36 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vejlgaard in view of Kotreka et al (US 20180359284 A1, hereinafter Kotreka)
Consider claim 36, and as applied to claim 35 above, Vejlgaard does not expressly discloses wherein the first wireless network is configured to support voice wireless services to the mobile communication device, and wherein the second wireless network is configured to provide non-voice wireless services to the mobile communication device.
In the same field of endeavor, Kotreka discloses wherein the first wireless network is configured to support voice wireless services to the mobile communication device, and wherein the second wireless network is configured to provide non-voice wireless services to the mobile communication device (For example, the DSDS device 404 may determine that the second communication session 422 is associated with active data transfer with the second network entity 414, and the first communication session 420 is associated with a voice-only service with the first network entity 412, paragraph 50).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Kotreka with the teachings of Vejlgaard to improve signaling by a dual-SIM device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 37-41 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/18/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant appears to argue that Vejlgaard does not teach “the implemented location management function operative to control generation of the location information via commands to the second wireless network” because Vejlgaard does not teach or suggest LMF 100X in network X controlling or sending commands to the second wireless network to collect the position assistance data (p. 16).
The Examiner respectfully disagrees, as Vejlgaard discloses with reference to Fig. 2 that at 210, the LMF 100X requests that the LMF 100Y configure the UE 106 for performing a positioning procedure (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.) in network Y…the request from the LMF 100X may include a time for the positioning procedure to occur (e.g., so that the uplink SRS transmissions from the UE 106 in network Y are sent relatively close in time to when the uplink SRS transmissions are sent to the UE 106 in network X). The request may also include a UE ID for the UE 106, and the positioning method (e.g., UL-TDOA, UL-RTT, E-CID, etc.). In this example, the positioning method is UL-TDOA. The request sent from the LMF 100X to the LMF 100Y may be referred to herein as a cross-network positioning request (see paragraph 85).
Conclusion
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/GERMAN VIANA DI PRISCO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642