DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office Action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 10/24/2025 has been entered and made of record.
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 Status
Claims 19-20, 23-26 and 29-30 are cancelled.
No new claim is/are added.
Claims 19-30 are pending for examination.
Applicant Argument
Applicant’s response has been fully considered. Below are applicant’s main arguments and examiner’s response to those arguments:
Applicant’s argument: (remark pages 8-11), filed on 10/24/2025, with respect to claims 19, 23, 25, and 29, ‘By this Amendment, independent claim 19 has been amended to add aspects of dependent claim 20 and to further describe disclosed features … this disclosure merely defines the validity condition for the initial registration. It does not describe any procedure in which the UE, during the validity time, transmits a second registration request including a requested NSSAI that contains one of the still-available S-NSSAls (i.e., the first S-NSSAI) … Accordingly, withdrawal of the rejection of claims 19, 23, 25 and 29 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 is respectfully requested’.
Examiner’s response: Examiner respectfully disagrees. TS23.502 teaches network would request UE to do re-registration via procedure for updating UE parameters (TS23.502: [Page 49], [Page 271: Figure 4.20.2-1]; [Page 271]) and Bulakci teaches AMF would request UE to do registration update upon temporary S-NSSAI becoming available with a validity time during which UE is allowed to use the network slice (Bulakci: [0010]-[0012], [0015], [0155], [0164], [0121], [0190]). Therefore, combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches the claimed limitations as amended. See the detailed Office Action bellow under 35 U.S.C. § 103 section.
Applicant’s arguments (remark pages 7-11), filed on 10/24/2025, with respect to claims 19-30 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground of rejection below which better address the claimed invention as amended.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 19-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over TS23.502, in view of Bulakci et al. (US 20250150956 A1), hereinafter “Bulakci”.
Per claim 19, 23, 25 and 29:
Regarding claim 25, TS23.502 teaches ‘An access and mobility management function (AMF) entity in a wireless communication system’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: “AMF”; [Page 29]: “NSSAI indicates the Network Slice Selection Assistance Information”); ‘the AMF entity comprising: a transceiver’ (existence of a transceiver for a AMF is implied); ‘at least one processor’ (existence of at least one processor for a AMF is implied); ‘coupled with the transceiver’ (this is implied);
‘configured to:
receive, from a user equipment (UE) via a base station, a first registration request message’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 1: UE to RAN: “Registration Request”, step 3: RAN to AMF: “Registration Request”, AMF receives Registration Request from UE via base station);
‘transmitting, to the UE via the base station, a first registration accept message including information on validity time for at least one single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), in response to the first registration request messages’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 21: AMF to UE via RAN: “Registration Accept”; [Page 25]: “Registration Accept ( … Allowed NSSAI, [Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI], [Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN], [Mapping Of Configured NSSAI], [rejected S-NSSAIs]”); However, TS23.502 fails to expressly teach including information on validity time;
‘receiving, from the UE, a second registration request message including requested network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI)’ (TS23.502: [Page 49]: “for changes to Allowed NSSAI that require re-registration”; [Page 271: Figure 4.20.2-1]: step 5: “UE initiates re-registration”; [Page 271]: “The updated parameters to be delivered to the UE … whether the UE needs to re-register after updating the data”, UE would do re-registration as request by network; [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 1: UE to RAN: “Registration Request”, step 3: RAN to AMF: “Registration Request”’; [Page 19]: “Registration Request ( … Requested NSSAI”);
‘wherein the at least one S-NSSAI is available in the validity time and the requested NSSAI includes a first S-NSSAI among the at least one S-NSSAI’ (TS23.502: [Page 19]: “Registration Request (… Requested NSSAI, [Mapping Of Requested NSSAI], Default Configured NSSAI Indication”). However, TS23.502 fails to expressly teach available in the validity time.
TS23.502 does not expressly teach, but Bulakci in the same field of endeavor teaches ‘wherein the validity time indicates a limited time duration in which at least one S-NSSAI is available for the UE’ (Bulakci: [0010]-[0012]; “the first information comprises single network slice selection assistance information … the timing information comprises a validity timer of the network slice … the validity timer is in the form of one or more of: an absolute time interval; a time interval relative to a reference time; a periodic time interval”; [0015]: “validity timer comprises a time for which the apparatus is allowed to use the network slice”; [0155]: “A UE for which the Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN has been updated … shall initiate a Registration procedure to receive a new valid Allowed NSSAI”; [0164]: “by registration accept … the AMF 511 provides a new configured NSSAI (including S-NSSAI A) to UE 510. As part of this configuration update, AMF 511 provides UE 510 with the time information T2 for S-NSSAI A”; Registration Accept includes time information about the valid time of NSSAI A to indicate a limited time duration (interval)) and UE would do registration update for the temporary available S-NSSAI (Bulakci: [0121]: “FIG. 7 shows a signaling diagram for a UE registration update according to an example”; [0190]: “The registration request comprises information of allowed NSSAI, and time information for each temporary S-NSSAI”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching with that of TS23.502 for a first registration accept message to include information on validity time for at least one single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and for a second registration request message to include requested network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) which is available in the validity time in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 29, TS23.502 teaches ‘A user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: “UE”; [Page 29]: “NSSAI indicates the Network Slice Selection Assistance Information”); ‘the UE comprising: a transceiver’ (existence of a transceiver for a UE is implied); ‘at least one processor’ (existence of at least one processor for a UE is implied); ‘coupled with the transceiver’ (this is implied);
‘configured to:
transmit, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) via a base station, a first registration request message’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 1: UE to RAN: “Registration Request”, step 3: RAN to AMF: “Registration Request”, UE transmits Registration Request to AMF via base station);
‘receive, from the AMF via the base station, a first registration accept message including information on validity time for at least one single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), in response to the first registration request message’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 21: AMF to UE via RAN: “Registration Accept”; [Page 25]: “Registration Accept ( … Allowed NSSAI, [Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI], [Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN], [Mapping Of Configured NSSAI], [rejected S-NSSAIs]”). However, TS23.502 fails to expressly teach including information on validity time;
‘transmit, to the AMF, a second registration request message including requested network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI)’ (TS23.502: [Page 49]: “for changes to Allowed NSSAI that require re-registration”; [Page 271: Figure 4.20.2-1]: step 5: “UE initiates re-registration”; [Page 271]: “The updated parameters to be delivered to the UE … whether the UE needs to re-register after updating the data”, UE would do re-registration as request by network; [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 1: UE to RAN: “Registration Request”, step 3: RAN to AMF: “Registration Request”’; [Page 19]: “Registration Request ( … Requested NSSAI”);
‘wherein the at least one S-NSSAI is available in the validity time and the requested NSSAI includes a first S-NSSAI among the at least one S-NSSAI’ (TS23.502: [Page 19]: “Registration Request (… Requested NSSAI, [Mapping Of Requested NSSAI], Default Configured NSSAI Indication”). However, TS23.502 fails to expressly teach available in the validity time.
TS23.502 does not expressly teach, but Bulakci teaches ‘wherein the validity time indicates a limited time duration in which the at least one S-NSSAI is available for the UE’ (Bulakci: [0010]-[0012]; “the first information comprises single network slice selection assistance information … the timing information comprises a validity timer of the network slice … the validity timer is in the form of one or more of: an absolute time interval; a time interval relative to a reference time; a periodic time interval”; [0015]: “validity timer comprises a time for which the apparatus is allowed to use the network slice”; [0155]: “A UE for which the Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN has been updated … shall initiate a Registration procedure to receive a new valid Allowed NSSAI”; [0164]: “by registration accept … the AMF 511 provides a new configured NSSAI (including S-NSSAI A) to UE 510. As part of this configuration update, AMF 511 provides UE 510 with the time information T2 for S-NSSAI A”; Registration Accept includes time information about the valid time of NSSAI A to indicate a limited time duration (interval)) and AMF would request UE to do registration update for the temporary available S-NSSAI (Bulakci: [0121]: “FIG. 7 shows a signaling diagram for a UE registration update according to an example”; [0190]: “The registration request comprises information of allowed NSSAI, and time information for each temporary S-NSSAI”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching with that of TS23.502 for a first registration accept message to include information on validity time for at least one single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) and for a second registration request message to include requested network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) which is available in the validity time in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 19, claim 19 recites the method implemented by the AMF entity of claim 25 (see rejection of claim 25 above).
Regarding claim 23, claim 23 recites the method implemented by the UE of claim 29 (see rejection of claim 29 above).
Per claim 20, 24, 26 and 30:
Regarding claim 26, combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches the AMF entity of claim 25 (discussed above).
Combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches ‘transmit, to the UE, a second registration accept message in response to the second registration request message’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 21: AMF to UE via RAN: “Registration Accept”. Bulakci: [0015]: “validity timer comprises a time for which the apparatus is allowed to use the network slice”; [0155]: “A UE for which the Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN has been updated … shall initiate a Registration procedure to receive a new valid Allowed NSSAI”; [0164]: “by registration accept … the AMF 511 provides a new configured NSSAI (including S-NSSAI A) to UE 510. As part of this configuration update, AMF 511 provides UE 510 with the time information T2 for S-NSSAI A”; [0190]: “The registration request comprises information of allowed NSSAI, and time information for each temporary S-NSSAI”; [0121]: “UE registration update”);
‘wherein the second registration accept message includes allowed NSSAI including the first S-NSSAI’ (TS23.502: [Page 25]: “Registration Accept ( … Allowed NSSAI”, include the temporary allowed NSSAI requested by UE);
‘perform a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure with the first S-NSSAI in response to the second registration accept message’ (TS23.502: [Page 26]: “The Allowed NSSAI provided in the Registration Accept is valid in the Registration Area”; [Page 64: Figure 4.3.2.2.1-1]: “UE-requested PDU Session Establishment”; [Page 65]: “From UE to AMF: NAS Message (S-NSSAI(s)”; perform PDU session establishment with the temporary allowed S-NSSAI).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching of valid time of temporary NSSAI with that of TS23.502 in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 30, combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches the UE of claim 29 (discussed above).
Combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches ‘receive, from the AMF, a second registration accept message in response to the second registration request message’ (TS23.502: [Page 18: Figure 4.2.2.2.2-1]: step 21: AMF to UE via RAN: “Registration Accept”. Bulakci: [0015]: “validity timer comprises a time for which the apparatus is allowed to use the network slice”; [0155]: “A UE for which the Configured NSSAI for the Serving PLMN has been updated … shall initiate a Registration procedure to receive a new valid Allowed NSSAI”; [0164]: “by registration accept … the AMF 511 provides a new configured NSSAI (including S-NSSAI A) to UE 510. As part of this configuration update, AMF 511 provides UE 510 with the time information T2 for S-NSSAI A”; [0190]: “The registration request comprises information of allowed NSSAI, and time information for each temporary S-NSSAI”; [0121]: “UE registration update”);
‘wherein the second registration accept message includes allowed NSSAI including the first S-NSSAI’ (TS23.502: [Page 25]: “Registration Accept ( … Allowed NSSAI”, include the temporary allowed NSSAI requested by UE);
‘perform a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment procedure with the first S-NSSAI in response to the second registration accept message’ (TS23.502: [Page 26]: “The Allowed NSSAI provided in the Registration Accept is valid in the Registration Area”; [Page 64: Figure 4.3.2.2.1-1]: “UE-requested PDU Session Establishment”; [Page 65]: “From UE to AMF: NAS Message (S-NSSAI(s)”; perform PDU session establishment with the temporary allowed S-NSSAI).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching of valid time of temporary NSSAI with that of TS23.502 in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 20, claim 20 recites the method implemented by the AMF entity of claim 26 (see rejection of claim 26 above).
Regarding claim 24, claim 24 recites the method implemented by the UE of claim 30 (see rejection of claim 30 above).
Per claim 21 and 27:
Regarding claim 27, combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches the AMF entity of claim 25 (discussed above).
TS23.502 does not expressly teach, but Bulakci teaches ‘receive, from a unified data management (UDM), information on the validity time’ (Bulakci: [FIG.7]: step S5: “UDM”->”AMF”: “Ack: List of subscribed S-NSSAI and Time information T2 for temp S-NSSAI”);
‘wherein the validity time is indicated in the first registration accept message’ (Bulakci: [0164]: “by registration accept … AMF 511 provides UE 510 with the time information T2 for S-NSSAI”); ‘based on a configuration’ (this is optional); ‘the information on the validity time received from the UDM’ (Bulakci: [FIG.7]: step S2: “UE Subscription has S-NSSAI associated with Time information T2”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching with that of TS23.502 in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 21, claim 21 recites the method implemented by the AMF entity of claim 27 (see rejection of claim 27 above).
Per claim 22 and 28:
Regarding claim 28, combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches the AMF entity of claim 25 (discussed above).
Combination of TS23.502 and Bulakci teaches ‘transmit, to a UE, a configuration update message including an allowed NSSAI’ (TS23.502: [Page 50: Figure 4.2.4.2-1]: “UE Configuration Update procedure for access and mobility management”, step 1: AMF to UE: “UE Configuration Update Command”; [Page 68]: “The AMF sends UE Configuration Update Command containing … Allowed NSSAI”);
‘wherein a second S-NSSAI is removed from the allowed NSSAI, in case that the validity time indicates the second S-NSSAI is not available’ (TS23.502: [Page 68]: “The AMF can check whether Network Slice configuration needs to be updated”; [Page 124]: “a change of the set of network slices for a UE where a network slice instance is no longer available”; [Page 68]: “The AMF sends UE Configuration Update Command containing … Allowed NSSAI”. Bulakci: [FIG.6]: step S7: “T1 timer expires, RAN and AMF automatically removes temp S-NSSAI from the supported list”; an expired temporary available NSSAI would be removed from the allowed NSSAI).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Bulakci’s teaching of valid time of temporary NSSAI with that of TS23.502 in order to provide temporary network slice service in a communication system (Bulakci: [0006]: “receiving first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the apparatus on a temporary basis”; [Title]: “PROVIDING TEMPORARY NETWORK SLICE SERVICES IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”).
Regarding claim 22, claim 22 recites the method implemented by the AMF entity of claim 28 (see rejection of claim 28 above).
Conclusion
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/G.F./Examiner, Art Unit 2462
/YEMANE MESFIN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2462