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
Response to Amendment
Acknowledgement is made of the amendment filed on March 16, 2026, in which:
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 11, and 13-19 are Currently Amended, and
Claims 2, 5, 7, 10, and 12 are Cancelled.
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 11, and 13-19 are currently pending and an Office action on the merits follows.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 11, and 13-19 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 11, and 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pub No.: US US-20200322879-A1 (herein “Zhu”) and further in view of Pub No.: US-20250081093-A1 (herein “Krishnamoorthi”).
Claims 1 and 11
Consider claim 1, Zhu teaches a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
transmitting, to a network entity, a first registration message including a first single network slice selection assistance (S-NSSAI) requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note the terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.);
receiving, from the network entity, a registration accept message including first information on a registration area and second information indicating a first tracking area (TA) where the first S-NSSAI is rejected within the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, Fig. 9 shows slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15);
in case that the first S-NSSAI is supported in the second TA of the registration area, transmitting to the network entity, a second registration request message to request the first S-NSSAI (see Zhu Fig. 11, [0401]-[0404] note sending the registration request 1110 including the S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI).
Zhu fails to teach wherein the first S-NSSAI is rejected in the first TA and is not rejected in all TAs of the registration area; identifying that the first S-NSSAI is supported in a second TA within the registration area based on the first information and the second information; and based on movement of the terminal from the first TA to the second TA within the first registration area enabling registration with the first S-NSSAI. Krishamoorthi explains that rejected S-NSSAI indicated to the UE as not currently supported in the current Tracking Area (TA) but available in other TAs that are part of the current registration area (RA). When the UE finds that it is in a new TA within the same RA, the UE assumes that the slice (S-NSSAI) that was rejected in the previous TA is available in the new TA and the UE can attempt to use the slice for new sessions (see Krishnamoorthi Fig. 6, [0099], [0100]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhu to include the recited teaching of Krishamoorthi. Such a modification would improve Zhu by allowing the network to deploy slices on a per-TA level (see Krishamoorthi [0039], [0100]).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 1.
Claim 3
Consider claim 3, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches wherein the first registration request further includes a second S-NSSAI requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note the terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.), and
wherein the registration accept message further includes information indicating that the second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA of the registration area and is not allowed in at least on TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4);
Claim 4
Consider claim 4, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches wherein the first registration request further includes a TA identity (TAI) of the first TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0324] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1), and
wherein the second registration request further includes a TAI of the second TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0401] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, i.e. where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1).
Claims 6 and 14
Consider claim 6, Zhu teaches a method performed by a network entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a terminal in a first tracking area (TA), first registration message including a first single network slice selection assistance (S-NSSAI) requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.);
transmitting, to the terminal, a registration accept message including first information on a registration area and second information indicating the first TA where the first S-NSSAI is rejected within the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0290], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15);
receiving, from the terminal in a second TA of the registration area, a second registration request message to request the first S-NSSAI (see Zhu Fig. 11, [0401]-[0404] note sending the registration request 1110 including the S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI), wherein the first S-NSSAI is supported for the terminal in the second TA of the registration area, based on the first information and the second information (see Zhu Fig. 9, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15).
Zhu fails to teach determining whether the first S-NSSAI is rejected in the first TA of a registration area and is not rejected in all TAs of the registration area. Krishamoorthi explains that rejected S-NSSAI indicated to the UE as not currently supported in the current Tracking Area (TA) but available in other TAs that are part of the current registration area (RA). When the UE finds that it is in a new TA within the same RA, the UE assumes that the slice (S-NSSAI) that was rejected in the previous TA is available in the new TA and the UE can attempt to use the slice for new sessions (see Krishnamoorthi Fig. 6, [0099], [0100]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhu to include the recited teaching of Krishamoorthi. Such a modification would improve Zhu by allowing the network to deploy slices on a per-TA level (see Krishamoorthi [0039], [0100]).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 6.
Claim 8
Consider claim 8, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches determining whether a second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA of the registration area and is not allowed in at least one TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4),
wherein the first registration request message further includes a second S-NSSAI requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note the terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.), and
wherein the registration accept message further includes information indicating that the second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA of the registration area and is not allowed in at least on TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4).
Claim 9
Consider claim 9, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches wherein the first registration request further includes a TA identity (TAI) of the first TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0324] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1), and
wherein the second registration request further includes a TAI of the second TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0401] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, i.e. where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1).
Claim 13
Consider claim 13, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches wherein the first registration request further includes a second S-NSSAI requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note the terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.), and
wherein the registration accept message further includes information indicating that the second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA of the registration area and is not allowed in at least on TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4);
wherein the first registration request further includes a TA identity (TAI) of the first TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0324] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1), and
wherein the second registration request further includes a TAI of the second TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0401] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, i.e. where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1).
Claim 15
Consider claim 15, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches determining whether a second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA of the registration area and is not allowed in at least one TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4),
wherein the first registration request message further includes a second S-NSSAI requested by the terminal (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 11, [0129], [0321], [0324] note the terminal initiates a registration procedure with the registration request including the requested NSSAI which may include S-NSSAI 1, S-NSSAI 2, etc.), and
wherein the registration accept message further includes information indicating that the second S-NSSAI is allowed in the first TA and is not allowed in at least one TA of the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 5 is accepted in TA 15 but not in TA 4),
wherein the first registration request further includes a TA identity (TAI) of the first TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0324] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1), and
wherein the second registration request further includes a TAI of the second TA (see Zhu [0294], [0314]-[0317], [0401] note the TA is identified by using the TAI, i.e. where S-NSSAI 2 is supported by TAI 2 to TAI 12, but not S-NSSAI 1 of AMF set 1).
Claims 16 and 18
Consider claim 16, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches further comprising:
storing the first information (see Zhu Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area); ,
wherein the registration accept message further includes third information indicating an area where the first S-NSSAI is available (see Zhu Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15),
wherein the area is associated with the first TA in the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0309] note the terminal never moves out of the registration area of the terminal), and
wherein whether the first S-NSSAI is supported in the second TA is determined based on the second information and the third information (see Zhu Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322], [0326]-[0328] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15).
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 16.
Claims 17 and 19
Consider claim 17, Zhu as modified by Krishnamoorthi teaches further comprising:
wherein the registration accept message further includes third information indicating an area where the first S-NSSAI is available (see Zhu Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15),
wherein the area is associated with the second TA in the registration area (see Zhu Fig. 5, Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0309] note the terminal never moves out of the registration area of the terminal), and
wherein whether the first S-NSSAI is supported in the second TA is determined based on the first information and the third information (see Zhu Fig. 9, Fig. 11, [0129], [0307], [0309], [0321]-[0322], [0326]-[0328] note the AMF returns the allowed NSSAI and rejected NSSAI with a rejection cause within the registration area. For example, slice 4 is accepted in TA 4 but not in TA 15).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 17.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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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/MARCUS HAMMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647