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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
IDS(es) submitted on 6/27/2023, 11/26/2024, 5/27/2025, and 9/19/2025 have been considered.
Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration filed on 2/10/2023 has been acknowledged.
Drawings
Drawing(s) submitted on 2/10/2023 have been acknowledged.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment made dated 2/10/2023 and 10/15/2025 do not contain any new matter, and has been accepted.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant elected claims 50-64 of group I for examination.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 50, 54-61, and 64 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2019/0029065; hereinafter Park).
Regarding claim 50, Park discloses a mobile terminal, comprising:
at least one processor (Fig. 1 and 4, UE); and
at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the mobile terminal at least to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a first message comprising network selection assistance information and an indication indicating a cause of rejection of access of said mobile terminal to a first mobile network ([0597]-[0600]: the network providing the UE a Reject Cause indicating that the S-NSSAI is not allowed within the current registration area);
determining whether said first message is valid ([0186]: determining that the response from the network is a valid response) when said indication indicating said cause of said rejection of access of said mobile terminal to said first mobile network is indicating that said mobile terminal is not allowed to access to said first mobile network from a location of said mobile terminal ([0597]-[0600]: the network providing the UE a Reject Cause indicating that the S-NSSAI is not allowed within the current registration area), and
selecting a second mobile network to be accessed based on said network selection assistance information comprised in said first message when said first message is determined to be valid ([0598]: the network may also include an allowed S-NSSAI, in addition to the rejection message, for the UE to select).
Regarding claim 54, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein the operations further comprise:
sending a second message including information indicating a present location of said mobile terminal ([0597]-[0599]: location included in messages).
Regarding claim 55, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein said first message comprises a registration reject message, a service reject message, or a deregistration request message ([0598]: registration reject message).
Regarding claim 56, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 55, wherein said second message comprises a registration request message ([0600]:reattempt request message).
Regarding claim 57, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 54, wherein said information indicating said present location of said mobile terminal includes at least one of:
geographic coordinates of said mobile terminal obtained from a global navigation satellite system;
a cell identifier of a radio cell said mobile terminal is connected to ([0157]: UE updating its location with the network); or
a list of mobile network identifiers, wherein each respective mobile network identifier included in the list of mobile network identifiers is associated with an indication of a respective signal strength detected when receiving said respective mobile network identifier.
Regarding claims 58, 60 and 61, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein the at selecting the second mobile network to be accessed based on said information comprised in said first message comprises:
deprioritizing said first mobile network or a mobile network of a country to which said first mobile network belongs from candidate mobile networks that said mobile terminal is allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal ([0599]-[0600]: creating a rejected NSSAI list); and
selecting said second mobile network from said candidate mobile networks ([0598]: the network may also include an allowed S-NSSAI, in addition to the rejection message, for the UE to select).
Regarding claim 59, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein said network selection assistance information comprises information identifying mobile networks to which said mobile terminal is not allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal ([0599]-[0600]: creating a rejected NSSAI list).
Regarding claim 64, Park discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 59, wherein the operations further comprise:
disabling use of said network selection assistance information in an instance a predetermined network selection assistance information endurance condition is satisfied ([0599]-[0600]: creating a rejected NSSAI list for an instance of time period).
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.
Claim(s) 51-53 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Lee (US 2019/0230556).
Regarding claim 51 Park discloses all the particulars of the claim but is unclear about the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein the determining whether said first message is valid when said indication indicating said cause of said rejection of access of said mobile terminal to said first mobile network is indicating that said mobile terminal is not allowed to access to said first mobile network from said location of said mobile terminal comprises:
detecting whether said first message is integrity protected;
based on determining that said first message is not integrity protected:
determining said first message is invalid; and
ignoring said first message.
However, Lee in combination does disclose the limitations wherein the determining whether said first message is valid when said indication indicating said cause of said rejection of access of said mobile terminal to said first mobile network is indicating that said mobile terminal is not allowed to access ([0210]: reject cause) to said first mobile network from said location of said mobile terminal comprises:
detecting whether (or not) said first message is integrity protected ([0191]: the message may be integrity protected; this claim only requires one of either the message is protected or not protected and not necessary both);
based on determining that said first message is not integrity protected:
determining said first message is invalid; and
ignoring said first message.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Lee’s disclosure to provide security to the communication.
Regarding claim 52, Park in view of Lee discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein the determining whether said first message is valid when said indication indicating said cause of said rejection of access of said mobile terminal to said first mobile network is indicating that said mobile terminal is not allowed to access to said first mobile network from said location of said mobile terminal comprises:
detecting whether said first message is received via Third-Generation-Partnership- Project (3GPP) access (Lee: [0183]: the message may be received within 3GPP system; this claim only requires one of either the message is protected or not protected and not necessary both;
based on determining that said first message is not received via Third- Generation-Partnership-Project access:
determining said first message is invalid; and
performing abnormal case handling of said first message.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Lee’s disclosure to provide security to the communication.
Regarding claim 53, Park in view of Lee discloses the mobile terminal according to claim 50, wherein the determining whether said first message is valid when said indication indicating said cause of said rejection of access of said mobile terminal to said first mobile network is indicating that said mobile terminal is not allowed to access to said first mobile network from said location of said mobile terminal comprises:
detecting whether said first message is received from a standalone non-public network (Lee: [0183]: non-3GPP access); and
based on determining said first message is received from a standalone non- public network:
determining said first message is invalid (Lee: [0183]: wherein the 5G-GUTI is invalid; Park: [0525]), and
performing abnormal case handling of said first message (Lee:[0183]: UE may act appropriately and provide a mapping of the request NSSAI).
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Lee’s disclosure to provide security to the communication.
Claim(s) 62, and 63 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park in view of Gunaratnam et al. (US 2005/0107082; hereinafter Gunaratnam).
Regarding claims 62 and 63, Park discloses all the particulars of the claim except for the mobile terminal according to claim 60, wherein said deprioritizing comprises:
displaying on a display of the mobile terminal, a mobile country code of each of said mobile networks to which said mobile terminal is not allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal together with an indication that said mobile terminal is allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal.
However, Gunaratnam does disclose the limitations wherein said deprioritizing comprises:
displaying on a display of the mobile terminal, a mobile country code of each of said mobile networks to which said mobile terminal is not allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal together with an indication that said mobile terminal is allowed to access from said location of said mobile terminal (Abstract; [0007], [0018]: list of MCC).
It would have been obvious to one ordinary skilled in the art at the time of invention to incorporate Gunaratnam’s disclosure to establish communication when crossing country borders.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK HUYNH whose telephone number is (571)272-7866. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am - 6pm.
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, Kathy Wang-Hurst can be reached at 571-270-5371. 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.
/CHUCK HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644