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 .
This action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on November 11, 2025. Claims 2-5 are still pending in the present application. This action is made FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed November 11, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The argument features claim 2 emphasizes that Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) is removed from pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) that is stored in the storage only when all of three conditions are met.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s statement and asserts that this is not what is claimed. As indicated in the non-final action, after the transmission, reception circuitry, and storage components are listed the applicant uses the expression “in case that.” This expression is a contingent limitation that is not required based on the broadest reasonable interpretation. See MPEP 2111.04(ii). The expression needs to be changed to an affirmative step performed by a component in the UE. In addition, who performs the storing of the mapped S-NSSAI in the storage? Who removes the S-NSSAI from the pending NSSAI stored in the storage? Who determines that all three conditions are met? Who rejects NSSAI? As is currently written, the UE only receives S-NSSAI. Who maps the S-NSSAI? How is the one or more S-NSSAi mapped? How are the NSSAI pending? The applicant will need to further amend the independent claims to clearly indicate the patentable subject matter.
The argument features Velev does not describe anything related to an Extended rejected NSSAI IE.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s statement and asserts that the Extended rejected NSSAI IE is received data. It is known in the field of art for a UE to receive data. What does the UE do with the Extended rejected NSSAI IE in a novel way other than receiving it?
The argument features Velev does not describe performing the control to remove the received S-NSSAI based on whether all of the at least one mapped S-NSSAI, included in the pending NSSAI and stored in the storage, is included in the received Extended rejected NSSAI IE.
The examiner respectfully disagrees with the applicant’s statement and asserts that, as discussed above, the independent claims do not indicate a performing nor controlling step. This needs to be indicated clearly and earlier in the invention, including who performs this step. In addition, what else is done other than removing S-NSSAI? Since the concept of removing S-NSSAI is known in the field of art. The applicant will need to further amend the independent claims to clearly indicate the patentable subject matter.
In view of the above, the rejection using Velev is maintained as repeated below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
Claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by Velev et al. (U.S. Patent Application Number: 2020/0162919).
Consider claim 2; Velev discloses a User Equipment (UE) comprising:
a transmission and/or reception circuitry (par. 130, lines 1-6); and
a storage unit (par. 135), wherein
in a case that {when this is not the case the limitations in this claim are invalid}
the transmission and reception circuitry receives Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in rejected Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) included in an Extended rejected NSSAI Information Element (IE) (par. 76, lines 6-8; par. 80, lines 1-7),
one or more mapped S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI included in pending NSSAI are stored in the storage (par. 170, lines 1-3), and
the Extended rejected NSSAI IE includes all of the one or more mapped S-NSSAI (par. 76, lines 6-8), the S-NSSAI is removed from the pending NSSAI stored in the storage (par. 170, lines 3-9), and
the rejected NSSAI is rejected NSSAI with respect to a current Public land mobile network (PLMN) (par. 32, lines 1-12; par. 76, lines 6-8) or Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) or rejected NSSAI with respect to a current registration area.
Consider claim 3; Velev discloses the Extended rejected NSSAI IE further includes a reject cause value associated with the S-NSSAI (par. 80, lines 1-7), and based on the reject cause value (par. 80, lines 1-7), one or more second mapped S-NSSAI for the rejected NSSAI are stored in the storage (par. 170, lines 1-3).
Consider claim 4; Velev discloses in a case that {when this is not the case the limitations in this claim are invalid} the transmission and/or {based on the or statement, a transmission unit cannot receive data} reception unit receives the S-NSSAI included in the rejected NSSAI included in the Extended rejected NSSAI IE (par. 76, lines 6-8; par. 80, lines 1-7), the one or more mapped S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI are stored in the storage (par. 170, lines 1-3), and the Extended rejected NSSAI IE does not include all of the one or more mapped S- NSSAI (par. 163, lines 6-9), the S-NSSAI is not removed from the pending NSSAI stored in the storage (par. 170, lines 1-3).
Consider claim 5; Velev discloses a communication control method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the communication control method comprising:
in a case that {when this is not the case the limitations in this claim are invalid}
the UE receives Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in rejected Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) included in an Extended rejected NSSAI IE (par. 76, lines 6-8; par. 80, lines 1-7),
one or more mapped S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI included in pending NSSAI are stored in the UE (par. 170, lines 1-3), and
the Extended rejected NSSAI IE includes all of the one or more mapped S-NSSAI (par. 76, lines 6-8), removing the S-NSSAI from the pending NSSAI stored in the UE (par. 170, lines 3-9), wherein
the rejected NSSAI is rejected NSSAI with respect to a current Public land mobile network (PLMN) (par. 32, lines 1-12; par. 76, lines 6-8) or Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) or rejected NSSAI with respect to a current registration area.
Conclusion
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
extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
Examiner should be directed to Joel Ajayi whose telephone number is (571) 270-1091. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 7:30am to 5:00pm and Friday 7:30am to 4:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Anderson can be reached on (571) 272-4177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist/customer service whose telephone number is (571) 272-2600.
/JOEL AJAYI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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