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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/13/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Amendment filed 02/13/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-2 and 8-14 have been amended. Claims 1-14 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-14 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.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US 20220104117 A1) in view of Drevo et al. (US 20220312533 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Xu teaches a method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a communication system (network selection method of Figs. 1-4 using e.g. AMF of Xu Fig. 2), the method comprising:
determining whether a mobility of a user equipment (UE) is from a first public land mobile network (PLMN) to a second PLMN (The equivalent PLMN is used in a handover process such that a source network device may select one network device or cell belonging to another PLMN (which belongs to an equivalent PLMN of the PLMN of the network device) as a handover target (when the terminal device moves between cells or network devices of equivalent PLMNs, [0069]);
determining whether the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to a same tracking area identity (TAI) list (a TAI in the same registration area indicates PLMN-1 and PLMN-2, [0070]);
wherein the first PLMN and the second PLMN are included in a registration area (a TAI in the same registration area indicates PLMN-1 and PLMN-2, [0070]).
However, Xu does not teach in case that the mobility of the UE is from the first PLMN to the second PLMN and the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to the same TAI list, transmitting, to a radio access network (RAN), a UE radio capability identifier (URC-ID) of the second PLMN based on UE context information.
In an analogous art, Drevo teaches in case that the mobility of the UE is from the first PLMN to the second PLMN and the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to the same TAI list (All of the RAN nodes 110a-c have the same TAI in this example, but the PLMN in the TAI is not necessarily identical to the PLMN in the gNB IDs of the RAN nodes, [0064]), transmitting, to a radio access network (RAN), a UE radio capability identifier (URC-ID) of the second PLMN based on UE context information (The AMF 120 prepares the UE context data (including PDU session context, the Security Key, UE Radio Capability and UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the new RAN node 110b, [0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu with UE mobility of Drevo to provide a method for enhancing UE mobility between RAN nodes and thereby provide benefits such as reduced signaling overhead and/or latency when resuming or reestablishing RRC connections, among other things as suggested, Drevo [0203].
Regarding claim 2, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the mobility of the UE from the first PLMN to the second PLMN is determined in case that the UE enters a connected mode on the second PLMN (if a selectable PLMN corresponding to an application 1 is PLMN1 and, a TAI in the same registration area indicates PLMN-1 and PLMN-2, and the terminal currently registers or keeps a connection on a TAI corresponding to the PLMN-2 then, the terminal device binds the application 1 to the PLMN2, Xu [0070]), and Drevo further teaches wherein the UE context information includes the URC-ID corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs belonging to the same TAI list (The AMF 120 prepares the UE context data (including PDU session context, the Security Key, UE Radio Capability and UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the new RAN node 110b, [0122]).
Regarding claim 8, Xu teaches An access and mobility management function (AMF) in a communication system (device/AMF 700 of Fig. 15), the network node comprising: a transceiver (network interface 704); and a processor (processor 701) coupled with the transceiver and configured to:
determine whether a mobility of a user equipment (UE) is from a first public land mobile network (PLMN) to a second PLMN (The equivalent PLMN is used in a handover process such that a source network device may select one network device or cell belonging to another PLMN (which belongs to an equivalent PLMN of the PLMN of the network device) as a handover target (when the terminal device moves between cells or network devices of equivalent PLMNs, [0069]),
determine whether the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to a same tracking area identity (TAI) list (a TAI in the same registration area indicates PLMN-1 and PLMN-2, [0070])
However, Xu does not teach in case that the mobility of the UE is from the first PLMN to the second PLMN and the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to the same TAI list, transmitting, to a radio access network (RAN), a UE radio capability identifier (URC-ID) of the second PLMN based on UE context information.
In an analogous art, Drevo teaches in case that the mobility of the UE is from the first PLMN to the second PLMN and the first PLMN and the second PLMN belong to the same TAI list (All of the RAN nodes 110a-c have the same TAI in this example, but the PLMN in the TAI is not necessarily identical to the PLMN in the gNB IDs of the RAN nodes, [0064]), transmitting, to a radio access network (RAN), a UE radio capability identifier (URC-ID) of the second PLMN based on UE context information (The AMF 120 prepares the UE context data (including PDU session context, the Security Key, UE Radio Capability and UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the new RAN node 110b, [0122]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu with UE mobility of Drevo to provide a method for enhancing UE mobility between RAN nodes and thereby provide benefits such as reduced signaling overhead and/or latency when resuming or reestablishing RRC connections, among other things as suggested, Drevo [0203].
Regarding claim 9, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the AMF of claim 8, wherein the mobility of the UE from the first PLMN to the second PLMN is determined in case that the UE enters a connected mode on the second PLMN (if a selectable PLMN corresponding to an application 1 is PLMN1 and, a TAI in the same registration area indicates PLMN-1 and PLMN-2, and the terminal currently registers or keeps a connection on a TAI corresponding to the PLMN-2 then, the terminal device binds the application 1 to the PLMN2, Xu [0070]), and Drevo further teaches wherein the UE context information includes the URC-ID corresponding to a plurality of PLMNs belonging to the same TAI list (The AMF 120 prepares the UE context data (including PDU session context, the Security Key, UE Radio Capability and UE Security Capabilities, etc.) and sends it to the new RAN node 110b, [0122]).
Claims 5-6 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (US 20220104117 A1) in view of Drevo and further in view of Liu (WO 2020227897 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 1.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach, further comprising: using at most one URC ID from the UE context information at any given time, wherein the URC-ID is associated with a PLMN selected by the UE.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches using at most one URC ID from the UE context information at any given time (If the UE received an indication in step 0 that the assigned capability ID or the used capability ID in the source system is used in the target system or there is interface between UCMF and UCME or co-located, the UE include the capability ID in this step, [0079]), wherein the URC-ID is associated with a PLMN selected by the UE (The assigned capability ID is PLMN-assigned capability ID, Liu [0077]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Regarding claim 6, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 1.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach further teaches further comprising: receiving from the UE a registration request message; and transmitting, to the UE, a registration accept message with the URC-ID.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches receiving from the UE a registration request message (In 5GS, the UE performs a registration procedure, [0077]); and transmitting, to the UE, a registration accept message with the URC-ID (AMF indicates the UE and the NG-RAN how to handle the UE capabilities. The information indicated could be that the AMF or the UCMF indicates the UE the assigned capability ID, [0077] and the indication is provided in a registration accept message, [0060]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Regarding claim 12, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the network node of claim 8.
However, Liu and Drevo do not teach Liu further teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: use at most one URC ID from the UE context information at any given time.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches wherein the processor is further configured to: use at most one URC ID from the UE context information at any given time (If the UE received an indication in step 0 that the assigned capability ID or the used capability ID in the source system is used in the target system or there is interface between UCMF and UCME or co-located, the UE include the capability ID in this step, [0079]), wherein the URC-ID is associated with a PLMN selected by the UE (The assigned capability ID is PLMN-assigned capability ID, Liu [0077]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Regarding claim 13, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the AMF of claim 8.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach further comprising: receive from the UE a registration request message; and transmitting, to the UE, a registration accept message with the URC-ID.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches receive from the UE a registration request message (In 5GS, the UE performs a registration procedure, [0077]); and transmitting, to the UE, a registration accept message with the URC-ID (AMF indicates the UE and the NG-RAN how to handle the UE capabilities. The information indicated could be that the AMF or the UCMF indicates the UE the assigned capability ID, [0077] and the indication is provided in a registration accept message, [0060]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Claims 3, 7, 10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Drevo and further in view of Lindheimer et al. (US 20220109746 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 1.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach wherein the transmitting to the RAN, the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN: determining whether the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information; and in case that the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information, indicating the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN (The NG-RAN sends a handover required.
In a analogous art, Lindheimer teaches wherein the transmitting to the RAN, the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN: determining whether the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, [0035]); and in case that the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information, indicating the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN (The NG-RAN sends a handover required (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, and may provide the Capability ID to NG-RAN via N2 message, e.g. INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST, [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
Regarding claim 7, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 6.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach further comprising: storing the URC-ID of the second PLMN in the UE context information.
In an analogous art, Lindheimer teaches storing the URC-ID of the second PLMN in the UE context information (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
Regarding claim 10, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the network node of claim 8.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach wherein the transmitting to the RAN, the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN: determining whether the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information; and in case that the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information, indicating the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN (The NG-RAN sends a handover required.
In a analogous art, Lindheimer teaches wherein the transmitting to the RAN, the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN: determining whether the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, [0035]); and in case that the URC-ID of the second PLMN is stored in the UE context information, indicating the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the RAN (The NG-RAN sends a handover required (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, and may provide the Capability ID to NG-RAN via N2 message, e.g. INITIAL CONTEXT SETUP REQUEST, [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
Regarding claim 14, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the network node of claim 13.
However, Xu and Drevo do not teach further comprising: storing the URC-ID of the second PLMN in the UE context information.
In an analogous art, Lindheimer teaches storing the URC-ID of the second PLMN in the UE context information (The serving AMF stores the UE Capability ID in the UE context, if received, [0035]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
Claims 4 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu in view of Drevo and further in view of Lindheimer et al. (US 20220109746 A1) and Liu.
Regarding claim 4, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the method of claim 3.
However, Xu and Drevo do not clearly teach further comprising: in case that the URC- ID of the second PLMN is not stored in the UE context information, assigning the URC-ID for the second PLMN; storing the assigned URC-ID for the second PLMN in the UE context information.
In an analogous art, Lindheimer teaches in case that the URC- ID of the second PLMN is not stored in the UE context information, assigning the URC-ID for the second PLMN; storing the assigned URC-ID for the second PLMN in the UE context information (Once the capability information is received by the gNB, the gNB may then have all the capability information that it needs and gNB would then typically, in cases when the AMF didn't have any information, update the AMF with the capability information for that particular UE. The AMF will then indirectly also get mapping data, i.e., an interpretation of the Capability ID that it can also store in a mapping table, [0138]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
However, Xu, Drevo and Lindheimer do not teach transmitting the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the UE, wherein the URC ID of the second PLMN is transmitted to the UE (202) via a non-access stratum (NAS) message.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches transmitting the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the UE (The AMF or the UCMF indicates the NG-RAN information, and the NG-RAN indicates the UE the information, [0045]; the indication further includes the AMF or the UCMF indicating the UE 10 whether there is an interface between the UCMF and a UE capability management element (UCME) of the network node 20 or co-located, [0044]) , wherein the URC ID of the second PLMN is transmitted to the UE (202) via a non-access stratum (NAS) message (the indication is provided in a registration accept message, a UE configuration update message, or a downlink non-access stratum (NAS) message, [0044]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu, Drevo and Lindheimer with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Regarding claim 11, Xu as modified by Drevo teaches the network node of claim 10.
However, Xu and Drevo do not clearly teach further comprising: in case that the URC- ID of the second PLMN is not stored in the UE context information, assigning the URC-ID for the second PLMN; storing the assigned URC-ID for the second PLMN in the UE context information.
In an analogous art, Lindheimer teaches in case that the URC- ID of the second PLMN is not stored in the UE context information, assigning the URC-ID for the second PLMN; storing the assigned URC-ID for the second PLMN in the UE context information (Once the capability information is received by the gNB, the gNB may then have all the capability information that it needs and gNB would then typically, in cases when the AMF didn't have any information, update the AMF with the capability information for that particular UE. The AMF will then indirectly also get mapping data, i.e., an interpretation of the Capability ID that it can also store in a mapping table, [0138]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu and Drevo with the UE context of Lindheimer to provide a method to improve the interface signaling, processing in the nodes and memory usage involved in the transmission of capability information to enable the transfer of the capability information as suggested, Lindheimer [0007].
However, Xu, Drevo and Lindheimer do not teach transmitting the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the UE, wherein the URC ID of the second PLMN is transmitted to the UE (202) via a non-access stratum (NAS) message.
In an analogous art, Liu teaches transmitting the URC-ID of the second PLMN to the UE (The AMF or the UCMF indicates the NG-RAN information, and the NG-RAN indicates the UE the information, [0045]; the indication further includes the AMF or the UCMF indicating the UE 10 whether there is an interface between the UCMF and a UE capability management element (UCME) of the network node 20 or co-located, [0044]) , wherein the URC ID of the second PLMN is transmitted to the UE (202) via a non-access stratum (NAS) message (the indication is provided in a registration accept message, a UE configuration update message, or a downlink non-access stratum (NAS) message, [0044]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the handover of Xu, Drevo and Lindheimer with the capability ID of Liu to provide a method for system interworking to handle a UE capability identity (ID) during interworking with different systems capable of providing a good communication performance and high reliability as suggested, Liu [0007].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Shan et al. (US 20190174449 A1): Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for indicating local area data network (LADN) data network names (DNNs). In embodiments, a user equipment (UE) provides a list of configured LADN DNNs in a registration request message during a registration procedure. An Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) determines LADN information for the UE by looking into configured LADN DNNs in the AMF and/or retrieved LADN authorization/subscription information.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS whose telephone number is (571)270-0671. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Appiah can be reached at 571-272-7904. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/NICOLE M LOUIS-FILS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641