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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 February 20, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-5 and 7-20 are currently pending and an Office action on the merits follows.
Response to Arguments
On pages 7-10 of the applicant’s remarks, the applicant argues that Cakulev fails to teach “determining, by the first network element in response to the SUPI of the terminal device in the first request, a policy control network element requested by the application function network element is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal, and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device.” The examiner respectfully disagrees. Cakulev [0024] explains that the BSF receives a query relating to a UE from the AF device requesting information for identifying a PCF device associated with the UE to create an access and mobility policy and/or to create a session management policy. Hence, Cakulev clearly enables retrieving only the PCF for the access and mobility policy and not the PCF for creating the session management policy. How or why to send only the information about mobility management is not a requirement that is currently spelled out in the claim language of the currently amended claim set. Therefore, the examiner respectfully maintains the rejection as further explained below.
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) 1-5 and 7-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pub No.: US-20210037375-A1 (herein “Cakulev”).
Claims 1 and 8
Consider claim 1, Cakulev teaches a communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a first network element (see Cakulev Fig. 2, note BSF 220) from an application function network element (see Cakulev Fig. 2, note AF 212), a first request comprising identification information of a terminal device, the identification information being a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) of the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] note the BSF receives a query relating to the UE from the AF device where the query includes the SUPI of the UE), wherein the first network element stores information of a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal device and information of a policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0014], [0018] note BSF maintains a record of associations between UEs and PCF to create an access and mobility policy and/or a session management policy);
determining, by the first network element in response to the SUPI of the terminal device in the first request, a policy control network element requested by the application function network element is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF determines the PCF device associated with the UE that is used to create an access and mobility policy for the UE), and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] the AF device sends a query to the BSF requesting information for the PCF device used to create an access and mobility policy);
sending, by the first network element to the application function network element, information about the policy control network element that provides mobility management and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device in response to the determining that a policy control network element requested by the application function network is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal device, and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF identifies the binding data based on the query and transmits the binding data, the associated binding identifier, and other information that can be used by the identify the corresponding PCF device that was used to create an access and mobility policy).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 1.
Claims 2 and 9
Consider claim 2, Cakulev teaches, further comprising:
receiving, by the first network element, a registration request from the policy control network element, the registration request comprising registration information including information about the policy control network element and the identification information, the first network element being configured to process the registration request (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 2.
Claims 3 and 10
Consider claim 3, Cakulev teaches further comprising:
obtaining, by the first network element, the information about the policy control network element from the registration information corresponding to the identification information (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063]-[0064] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc. Then the BSF generating binding data for the PCF device and the UE and a binding identifier for indexing the binding data).
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 3.
Claims 4 and 11
Consider claim 4, Cakulev teaches wherein the information about the policy control network element comprises an address of the policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, [0018]-[0019], note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF).
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected for at least the same reason(s) set forth in claim 4.
Claim 5
Consider claim 5, Cakulev teaches wherein the policy control network element is an access and mobility policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 6, [0061], [0062] note the PCF creates an access and mobility policy for the UE).
Claim 7
Consider claim 7, Cakulev teaches wherein the first network element is a binding support function (BSF) (see Cakulev Fig. 2 note BSF 220).
Claim 12
Consider claim 12, Cakulev teaches A communication method, comprising:
sending, by an application function network element (see Cakulev Fig. 2, note AF 212), a first request to a first network element (see Cakulev Fig. 2, note BSF 220), the first request comprising identification information of a terminal device, the identification information being a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) of the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] note the BSF receives a query relating to the UE from the AF device where the query includes the SUPI of the UE);
determining, by the first network element in respone to receipt of the SUPI of the terminal device in the first request, a policy control network element requested by the application function network element is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF determines the PCF device associated with the UE that is used to create an access and mobility policy for the UE), and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] the AF device sends a query to the BSF requesting information for the PCF device used to create an access and mobility policy);
sending, by the first network element to the application function network element, information about the policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal device, and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device in response to the determining that a policy control network element requested by the application function network is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal device and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF identifies the binding data based on the query and transmits the binding data, the associated binding identifier, and other information that can be used by the identify the corresponding PCF device); and
receiving, by the application function network element, the information about the policy network element (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF transmits the binding data, the associated binding identifier, and other information that can be used by the identify the corresponding PCF device to the AF device which submitted the query).
Claim 13
Consider claim 13, Cakulev teaches further comprising:
sending, by the policy control network element, a registration request to the first network element, the registration request comprising registration information including information about the policy control network element and the identification information, the first network element being configured to process the registration request (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc); and
receiving, by the first network element, the registration request from the policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc).
Claim 14
Consider claim 14, Cakulev teahces further comprising:
obtaining, by the first network element, the information about the policy control network element from the registration information corresponding to the identification information (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063]-[0064] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc. Then the BSF generating binding data for the PCF device and the UE and a binding identifier for indexing the binding data).
Claim 15
Consider claim 15, Cakulev teaches wherein the information about the policy control network element is an address of the policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, [0018]-[0019], note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF).
Claim 16
Consider claim 16, Cakulev teaches wherein the policy control network element is an access and mobility policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 6, [0061], [0062] note the PCF creates an access and mobility policy for the UE).
Claim 17
Consider claim 17, Cakulev teaches a communication system, comprising:
an application function network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1D, Fig. 2, note AF device 212) configured to:
send a first request to a first network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1D, Fig. 2, note BSF 220), wherein the first request comprises identification information of a terminal device, the identificatoni information being a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) of the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] note the BSF receives a query relating to the UE from the AF device where the query includes the SUPI of the UE); and
the first network element is configured to:
determine, in response to the SUIP of the terminal device in the first request, a policy control network element requested by the application function network element is a policy control network element that provides mobility management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] note the BSF determines the PCF device associated with the UE that is used to create an access and mobility policy for the UE) and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024] the AF device sends a query to the BSF requesting information for the PCF device used to create an access and mobility policy); and
send, to the application function network element, information about the policy control network element that provides mobility management and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device in response to the determining that a policy control network element requested by the application function network is a policy control network element that provides mobility management and not the policy control network element that provides session management for the terminal device (see Cakulev [0024]-[0025] note the BSF identifies the binding data based on the query and transmits the binding data, the associated binding identifier, and other information that can be used by the identify the corresponding PCF device to the AF Device which submitted the query).
Claim 18
Consider claim 18, Cakulev teaches wherein the policy control network element is configured to:
send a registration request to the first network element, the registration request comprising registration information including information about the policy control network element and the identification information, first network element being configured to process the registration request (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc); and
the first network element is configured to: receive the registration request from the policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc).
Claim 19
Consider claim 19, Cakulev teaches wherein the first network element is configured to: obtain the information about the policy control network element from the registration information corresponding to the identification information (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, Fig. 6 [0018]-[0019], [0063]-[0064] note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF, SUPI, etc. Then the BSF generating binding data for the PCF device and the UE and a binding identifier for indexing the binding data).
Claim 20
Consider claim 20, Cakulev teaches wherein the information about the policy control network element is an address of the policy control network element (see Cakulev Fig. 1A, [0018]-[0019], note BSF receiving the binding request from the PCF including the network address of the PCF).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS C HAMMONDS whose telephone number is (571)270-3193. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00AM-6:00PM.
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, ALISON T. SLATER can be reached at (571)270-0375. 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.
/MARCUS HAMMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647