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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/05/2026 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-10, 12-17, 19, 28, 30, 32 and 38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Doa et al (20210274392).
Regarding claim 1, Doa et al discloses, a wireless communication method for use in a network exposure function (NEF, fig. 4, 5 and 7-8), the wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, from a session management function (SMF, fig. 4, 5 and 7) of a core network, a routable subscription address in a wireless network node in a radio access network (¶ 0130, fig. 4, steps 44, ¶ 0183-0185, fig. 7, steps 74),
transmitting, towards the routable subscription address in the wireless network node in the radio access network, a subscription request (¶ 0131-0132, fig. 4, steps 45a, 46a, ¶ 0186, fig. 7, steps 75a and 76a), and
receiving, from the radio access network, radio access network information corresponding to the subscription request (¶ 0192, 0196, fig. 7, steps 75b).
Regarding claim 2, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, receiving, from an application function of the core network, radio access network information request for the radio access network information (¶ 0192, 0196), and transmitting, to a unified data repository, a subscription container comprising the radio access network information request and a notification address in the network exposure function for the radio access network information (¶ 0010, 0049).
Regarding claims 3, 9, 16, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, wherein the radio access network information request comprises at least one of information related to the radio access network or at least one event related to the radio access network, wherein the at least one event related to the radio access network comprises at least one of: detecting a cell change, detecting a radio access bearer event related to a radio access bearer, wherein the radio access bearer event comprises at least one of establishment, a modification or a release, performing a measurement of a wireless terminal, configuring carrier aggregation for a wireless terminal, or expiry of the subscription request (¶ 0130-0132, 0192, 0196).
Regarding claims 4, 10, 17, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, wherein the subscription request comprises at least one event related to the radio access network claim 1, wherein the at least one event related to the radio access network comprises at least one of: detecting a cell change, detecting a radio access bearer event related to a radio access bearer, wherein the radio access bearer event comprises at least one of establishment, a modification or a release, performing a measurement of a wireless terminal, configuring carrier aggregation for a wireless terminal, or expiry of the subscription request (¶ 0130-0132, 0192, 0196).
Regarding claim 6, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, receiving, from the session management function, quality-of-service flow binding information, receiving, from the wireless terminal, the radio access network or a user plane function, at least one quality-of-service flow identifier, and transmitting, to an application function, the radio access network information based on the quality-of-service binding information and the at least one quality-of-service flow identifier (¶ 0171, 0173, 0183-0184).
Regarding claim 7 Doa et al discloses, a wireless communication method for use in a radio access network (abstract, fig. 1-15), the wireless communication method comprising: transmitting, to a session management function, a subscription address in the radio access network (¶ 0130, fig. 4, steps 44, ¶ 0183-0185, fig. 7, steps 74), receiving, from a network exposure function, a subscription request (¶ 0131-0132, fig. 4, steps 45a, 46a, ¶ 0186, fig. 7, steps 75a and 76a), and transmitting, to the network exposure function, radio access network information based on the subscription request (¶ 0192, 0196, fig. 7, steps 75b).
Regarding claim 8, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, receiving, from an access and mobility management function, a subscription container comprising a radio access network information request and a notification address of the network exposure function for the radio access network information (¶ 0010, 0049, 0192, 0196).
Regarding claim 12, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, transmitting, to the network exposure function, at least one quality-of-service flow identifier and the radio access network information (¶ 0171, 0173, 0183-0184).
Regarding claim 13, Doa et al discloses, a wireless communication method for use in a session management function (fig. 1-7), the wireless communication method comprising: receiving, from a radio access network, a routable subscription address in a wireless network node in the radio access network (¶ 0130, fig. 4, steps 44, ¶ 0183-0185, fig. 7, steps 74), and transmitting, to a network exposure function, the routable subscription address in the wireless network node in the radio access network (¶ 0131-0132, fig. 4, steps 45a, 46a, ¶ 0186, fig. 7, steps 75a and 76a).
Regarding claim 14, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, receiving, from a policy control function, a subscription container comprising a radio access network information request and a notification address in the network exposure function, and transmitting, to the radio access network, the subscription container (¶ 0010, 0049, 0192, 0196).
Regarding claim15, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, transmitting, to a user plane function, forwarding information comprising the notification address in the network exposure function (¶ 0010, 0049, 0192, 0196).
Regarding claim 19, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, transmitting, to the network exposure function, quality-of-service flow binding information (¶ 0171, 0173, 0183-0184).
Regarding claims 28, 30, 32, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, at least one processor; and a memory, which is configured to store at least one program; wherein the at least one program, when executed by the at least one processor, enables the at least one processor to perform the method (¶ 0241, fig. 9).
Regarding claim 38, Doa et al discloses in claim 1, further, a computer program product comprising a computer- readable program medium code stored thereupon, the code, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to implement a wireless communication method recited in claim 1 (¶ 0241, fig. 9).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-4, 6-10, 12-17, 19, 28, 30, 32 and 38 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Examiner’s Note: The Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record within the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply. "The use of patents as references is not limited to what the patentees describe as their own inventions or to the problems with which they are concerned. They are part of the literature of the art, relevant for all they contain." In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33,216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275,277 (CCPA 1968)). A reference may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill the art, including nonpreferred embodiments (see MPEP 2123). Therefore, Applicant, in preparing the response, must fully consider the entire disclosure of the cited references as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, including the context of the cited passages as taught by the prior art disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHAWAR IQBAL whose telephone number is (571)272-7909. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/KHAWAR IQBAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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