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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/05/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 06/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner has thoroughly reviewed applicant’s arguments but firmly believes the cited reference to reasonably and properly meet the claimed limitations i.e. that receiving, by the aggregator NWDAF, directly from the NWDAF1 a notification that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1. Examiner respectfully directs the Application to paragraphs 0123-0126, Hong where discloses FIG. 9, At 906, when the UE moves from old data source(s) 928 service area to new data source(s) service area, the UE's context including the subscription event (UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1) in old data source transfers to the new data source. At 907, the new data source(s) send the UE related data according to the subscription event request to the old low level NWDAF 926 and at 908, the old low level NWDAF 926 determines that the new data source(s) 930 is not in its service area and sends a message to NWDAF 922 (i.e., aggregator NWDAF) according the request at 903a including the new data source(s) information. At 909, the NWDAF 922 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 930 (i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information). In this case, the new data source 930 is served by the new low level NWDAF 927.
Additionally, the examiner has given the claim language its broadest reasonable interpretation. Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Anticipatory reference need not duplicate, word for word, what is in claims; anticipation can occur when claimed limitation is “inherent” or otherwise implicit in relevant reference (Standard Havens products Incorporated v. Gencor Industries Incorporated, 21 USPQ2d 1321). Applicant always has the opportunity to amend the claims during prosecution, and broad interpreted by the examiner reduces the possibility that the claim, once issued, will be interpreted more broadly than is justified. In re Prater, 415 F.2d 1393, 1404-05, 162 USPQ 541, 550-51 (CCPA 1969).
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.
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) 1-2, 4-5, 11-12 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hong (20230071081).
Regarding claim 1, Hong discloses, a subscription method (abstract, fig. 7 and 9), comprising:
sending, by an aggregator Network Data Analytic Function (722, fig. 7), a subscription request (704, fig. 7) to a first NWDAF (726, fig. 7), the NWDAF1 being an NWDAF whose serving area covers a current location of a User Equipment (see UE location, fig. 5) (¶ 0081, 0096, the NWDAF 722 sends a request to the old lower level NWDAF 726 for analytics information or data collection including old data source(s) information received at 702);
receiving, by the aggregator NWDAF, directly from the NWDAF1 a notification that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1(¶ 0123-0126, FIG. 9, At 906, when the UE moves from old data source(s) 928 service area to new data source(s) service area, the UE's context including the subscription event (UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1) in old data source transfers to the new data source. At 907, the new data source(s) send the UE related data according to the subscription event request to the old low level NWDAF 926 and at 908, the old low level NWDAF 926 determines that the new data source(s) 930 is not in its service area and sends a message to NWDAF 922 according the request at 903a including the new data source(s) information. At 909, the NWDAF 922 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 930 (i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information). In this case, the new data source 930 is served by the new low level NWDAF 927);
upon the receipt of the notification that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1, determining, by the aggregator NWDAF, a 5th-Generation (5G) core network (5GC) network function currently serving the UE and determining a second NWDAF (728, fig. 7) which is capable of serving the 5GC network function, or determining the location of the UE and querying the NWDAF2 which is capable of serving the UE in accordance with the location of the UE (¶ 0080-0081, when the NWDAF receives a notification of a “UE associated NF event” including the new data source(s) information, the NWDAF 722 determines that the new data source(s) is not in the old low level NWDAF 726 service area and determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) such as a new low level NWDAF 728. The NWDAF 722 then sends the analytics information request to the new low level NWDAF 728 and ¶ 0089, 0092, the NWDAF 722 derives requested analytics or aggregates received data according to the request in 701a/b and the NWDAF 722 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 732 i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information, also see fig. 9, ¶ 0123-0126); and
sending, by the aggregator NWDAF, a subscription request to the NWDAF2 (¶ 0093, the NWDAF 722 may send a request to the new lower level NWDAF 728 for analytics information or data collection including data source(s) information received at 707).
Regarding claims 2, 12, Hong discloses, wherein subsequent to sending, by the aggregator NWDAF, the subscription request to the NWDAF2, the subscription method further comprises sending a suspending or deregistration indication to the NWDAF 1 (¶ 0081, 0113, 0131, the top NWDAF has information indicating that the data source(s) has changed and the new data source(s) is not associated with the old low level NWDAF service area according to a message from the old low level NWDAF).
Regarding claims 4, 14, Hong discloses, wherein the notification received by the aggregator NWDAF and that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1 is sent by the NWDAF1 when the NWDAF1 determines that the UE has moved out of the serving area in accordance with an event reported by a Network Function (NF) serving the UE (¶ 0081, When the NWDAF receives a notification of a “UE associated NF event” including the new data source(s) information, the NWDAF 722 determines that the new data source(s) is not in the old low level NWDAF 726 service area and determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) such as a new low level NWDAF 728. The NWDAF 722 then sends the analytics information request to the new low level NWDAF 728 and ¶ 0089, 0092, the NWDAF 722 derives requested analytics or aggregates received data according to the request in 701a/b and the NWDAF 722 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 732 i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information. For details see fig. 5, 7 and 9).
Regarding claims 5, 15, Hong discloses, wherein the determining the location of the UE comprises obtaining the location of the UE from the NWDAF1 or subscribing location information about the UE to an Access and Mobility Management Function (¶ 0028, 0075, to support network data analytics services in a core network, a network data analytics function (NWDAF) collects data from network functions (NFs) such as access and mobility management functions (AMFs), session management functions (SMFs), and so on. However, for each type of NF, there may be multiple NF instances deployed in different service areas. When the UE moves to a different service area, the NFs serving the UE may also change. For data collection from the NFs serving the UE, the NWDAF needs to know which NFs are serving the UE. Disclosed are techniques for obtaining the information of which NFs are serving the UE and for collecting data from the NFs.).
Regarding claim 11, Hong discloses, an NWDAF, which is an aggregator NWDAF comprising a processor, a memory and a transceiver (abstract, fig. 5, 7, 9 and 17, ¶ 0191-0192, network entity, can include processor electronics 1710 such as a microprocessor, a memory device, a composition of matter effecting a machine-readable propagated signal, or a combination of one or more them. The term “data processing apparatus” encompasses all apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. The apparatus can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or a combination of one or more of them.), wherein the processor is configured to read a program stored in the memory so as to:
send a subscription request to a first NWDAF (NWDAF1), the NWDAF1 being an NWDAF whose serving area covers a current location of a UE (¶ 0081, 0096, the NWDAF 722 sends a request to the old lower level NWDAF 726 for analytics information or data collection including old data source(s) information received at 702, fig. 5, 7 and 9, see detail in claim 1);
receive directly from the NWDAF1 a notification that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF 1 (¶ 0123-0126, FIG. 9, At 906, when the UE moves from old data source(s) 928 service area to new data source(s) service area, the UE's context including the subscription event (UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1) in old data source transfers to the new data source. At 907, the new data source(s) send the UE related data according to the subscription event request to the old low level NWDAF 926 and at 908, the old low level NWDAF 926 determines that the new data source(s) 930 is not in its service area and sends a message to NWDAF 922 (i.e., aggregator NWDAF) according the request at 903a including the new data source(s) information. At 909, the NWDAF 922 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 930 (i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information). In this case, the new data source 930 is served by the new low level NWDAF 927)
upon the receipt of the notification that the UE has moved out of the serving area of the NWDAF1, determine a 5GC network function currently serving the UE and determine a second NWDAF (NWDAF2) which is capable of serving the 5GC network function, or determine a location of the UE and query the NWDAF2 which is capable of serving the UE in accordance with the location of the UE; and send a subscription request to the NWDAF2,wherein the transceiver is configured to receive (¶ 0081, When the NWDAF receives a notification of a “UE associated NF event” including the new data source(s) information, the NWDAF 722 determines that the new data source(s) is not in the old low level NWDAF 726 service area and determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) such as a new low level NWDAF 728. The NWDAF 722 then sends the analytics information request to the new low level NWDAF 728 and ¶ 0089, 0092, the NWDAF 722 derives requested analytics or aggregates received data according to the request in 701a/b and the NWDAF 722 determines which NWDAF services the new data source(s) 732 i.e. querying the NRF and/or UDM including the new data source(s) information., see fig. 5, 7 and 9, see detail in claim 1) and
transmit data under the control of the processor (¶ 0093, the NWDAF 722 may send a request to the new lower level NWDAF 728 for analytics information or data collection including data source(s) information received at 707).
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.
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.
Claim(s) 3, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hong (20230071081) in view of LAIR (20220263724).
Hong does not specifically disclose wherein the processor is further configured to receive a data analytics result from a third NWDAF, and the data analytics result is historical data analytics about the UE.
In the same field of endeavor, LAIR discloses, wherein the processor is further configured to receive a data analytics result from a third NWDAF, and the data analytics result is historical data analytics about the UE (¶ 0062-0063, 0067, NWDAFs to exchange information related to UE analytics so that one NWDAF may benefit from analytics provided by another NWDAF and mechanisms for NWDAFs to exchange collected data). Therefore, before the effective filing date of the claim invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the device of Hong by specifically adding feature in order to enhance system performance to Efficient handling of collected data or analytics data can measures for efficient sharing of collected data or analytics data in network data analytics function scenarios, which allows efficient storage and distribution of access to the collected data or analytics data as taught by LAIR.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jinsong Hu can be reached at 5712723965. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KHAWAR IQBAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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