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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 18, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant amends claim language to overcome previous rejections. However, Tiwari still reads on the currently amended claims.
The Applicant argues on page 16 of Remarks that the amended claim 1 pertains to a standalone non-public network and/or a public network integrated non-public network, which means SNPN-type networks, not PLMN networks, whereas the SoR information in Matolia includes a PLMN list but not comprises SNPN networks. This point of arguments is moot as the Examiner no longer relies on Matolia for the teachings of this amended claim 1.
The Applicant further argues that Tiwari only provided general descriptions of how to access to the dedicated network. Therefore, Tiwari is silent about how to implement network selection for a terminal in a case that an access scenario in which a terminal may access an SNPN through a service provider credential is introduced. The Examiner respectfully disagrees because claim merely recites accessing a network through a service provider credential; however, claim fails to specifically define as to what credential is used. Due to the broadness of claim language, it is in the Examiner position to interpret this claim limitation as the service provider performs authentication and/or authorization. In this instant, the UE is able to register with the network based on the authorization process as shown in Figure 1. Thus, this teaching of Tiwari reads on the argued features.
Based on the above discussion, it should be clear to the Applicant that Tawari still reads on the amended claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "sending the capability information, sending the first request, and/or sending the first type in a case that a third condition is met," in lines 3-4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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, 5-10, and 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tiwari et al. (hereinafter “Tiwari”, US 2022/0345989).
Regarding claim 1, Tiwari discloses an information configuration method, applied to a first communication device, and the method comprising:
obtaining first information (i.e., a UE includes capability information of the UE that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature in the AS message during an existing RRC connection feature or in the NAS message (e.g., Registration Request or a Service Request) as described in paragraph 0066),
wherein the first information comprises: capability information (i.e., the capability information of the UE indicates that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature as described in paragraph 0066),
wherein the capability information is used for indicating one of the following: that a terminal has a first capability or that a terminal does not have a first capability (i.e., the capability information of the UE indicates that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature as described in paragraph 0066);
the first capability comprises: a capability of the terminal to access a network through a service provider credential (i.e., the UE selects a cell of a PLMN to camp and the CAG information controller is configured to determine whether the UE is authorized or unauthorized to the cell as described in paragraphs 0050-0055).
performing a first operation according to the obtained first information (i.e., determining that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature from the capability information as described in paragraph 0066), wherein
the first operation comprises: a first-class operation of the first operation (i.e., determining that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature from the capability information as described in paragraph 0066), wherein
the first-class operation of the first operation comprises at least one of the following:
determining an access network list of a first type configured or updated for the terminal (i.e., determining that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature from the capability information as described in paragraph 0066); or
sending the access network list information of the first type to the terminal (i.e., the AMF sends the CAG information list or SNPN related information to the UE as described in paragraph 0066);
wherein
the access network list information of the first type comprises: information about a group of preferred first-type networks and/or information about a combination of the first-type networks and an access technology (i.e., including a CAG information list, a PLMN ID, as described in paragraphs 0010, 0027-0028, 0044-0045, and 0052-0055);
wherein the first-type network comprises at least one of the following: a standalone non-public network, a public network integrated non-public network, or a public network (i.e., the CAG information list, which s PNI-NPN, as described in paragraphs 0010, 0027-0028, 0044-0045, and 0052-0055).
With further regard to claim 9, while Tiwari does not expressly disclose a first communication device, comprising: a memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to perform the method of claim 1. However, it is inherent that the first communication device includes the memory, the processor and the computer program in order to process and/or exchange the information between different network elements.
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the performing a first operation comprises:
performing the first-class operation of the first operation in a case that a first condition is met, wherein
the first condition comprises at least one of the following:
the capability information indicates that the terminal has the first capability, or determines that the terminal has the first capability (i.e., the UE includes capability information of the UE that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature in the AS message during an existing RRC connection feature or in the NAS message (e.g., Registration Request or a Service Request) as described in paragraph 0066);
the first request is received, and the first request is used for requesting the access network list information of the first type;
the first type is received, and the first type is used for indicating the access network list information of the first type; or
a network currently accessed by the terminal is a service provider network.
Regarding claim 5, Tiwari discloses an information configuration method and a computer software product, applied to a second communication device (i.e., a UE as shown in Fig. 1), comprising:
sending first information, wherein the first information comprises: capability information (i.e., a UE includes capability information of the UE that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature in the AS message during an existing RRC connection feature or in the NAS message (e.g., Registration Request or a Service Request) as described in paragraph 0066);
the capability information is used for indicating one of the following: that a terminal has a first capability or that a terminal does not have a first capability the capability information of the UE indicates that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature as described in paragraph 0066), wherein the first capability comprises: a capability of the terminal to access a network through a service provider credential (i.e., the UE selects a cell of a PLMN to camp and the CAG information controller is configured to determine whether the UE is authorized or unauthorized to the cell as described in paragraphs 0050-0055).
Regarding claim 6, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the sending first information comprises:
sending the capability information (i.e., a UE includes capability information of the UE that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature in the AS message during an existing RRC connection feature or in the NAS message (e.g., Registration Request or a Service Request) as described in paragraph 0066), sending the first request, and/or sending the first type in a case that a third condition is met, wherein the capability information indicates that the terminal has the first capability; and
the third condition comprises at least one of the following:
the terminal has the first capability (i.e., the capability information of the UE indicates that the UE supports the CAG related feature or SNPN related feature as described in paragraph 0066;
the terminal supports an access network list information of the first type; or
a network currently accessed by the terminal is a service provider network.
Regarding claim 7, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein after the sending first information, the method further comprises:
receiving an access network list information of the first type (i.e., including a CAG information list, a PLMN ID, as described in paragraphs 0010, 0027-0028, 0044-0045, and 0052-0055);
wherein
the access network list information of the first type comprises: information about a group of preferred first-type networks and/or information about a combination of the first-type networks and an access technology (i.e., including a CAG information list, a PLMN ID, as described in paragraphs 0010, 0027-0028, 0044-0045, and 0052-0055);
the first-type network comprises at least one of the following: a standalone non- public network, a public network integrated non-public network, or public network (i.e., the CAG information list, which s PNI-NPN, as described in paragraphs 0010, 0027-0028, 0044-0045, and 0052-0055).
Regarding claim 8, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the receiving the access network list information of the first type comprises at least one of the following:
in a case that a fifth condition is met, saving the access network list information of the first type, and/or updating access network list information according to the visited access network list information of the first type (i.e., the CAG information list is received by the UE as described in paragraph 0054); or
discarding the visited access network list information of the first type in a case that a sixth condition is met, wherein the fifth condition comprises at least one of the following: the terminal has the first capability; the terminal supports the access network list information of the first type;
or
the visited access network list information of the first type is received from a service provider network; and
the sixth condition comprises at least one of the following:
the terminal does not have the first capability;
the terminal does not support the access network list information of the first type;
the visited access network list information of the first type is received from a non- service provider network.
Regarding claims 21 and 22, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the first-type network further comprises: public network (i.e., PLMN as described in paragraph 0054).
Regarding claim 23, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the first communication device comprises at least one of the following:
access management function (AMF) (i.e., AMF 200 as shown in Fig. 1); or
unified data management (UDM).
Regarding claim 24, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above. Tiwari also discloses wherein the second communication device comprises terminal (i.e., UE 100 as shown in Fig. 1).
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) 3, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tiwari in view of Matolia et al. (hereinafter “Matolia”, US 12,302,230).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Tiwari discloses all limitations recited within claims as described above, but do not expressly disclose features of these claims.
In a similar endeavor, Matolia discloses manual network selection at a user equipment. Matolia also discloses wherein the sending the access network list information of the first type to the terminal comprises at least one of the following:
sending the access network list information of the first type through a steer of roaming container, wherein a header of the steer of roaming container indicates that the steer of roaming container comprises the access network list information of the first type (i.e., the UE receives SoR information as described in col. 12, lines 36-62); or
sending the access network list information of the first type through a container of a first type, wherein the container of the first type is a container capable of providing integrity protection for the access network list information of the first type, and
the container of the first type is a container other than the steer of roaming container.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to modify the teachings of the cited references, and arrive at the present invention.
The motivation/suggestion for doing so would have been to enable the UE to register with a visiting network while roaming.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, and 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAYNE CAI whose telephone number is (571)272-7798. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday, 7:00 AM-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KATHY WANG-HURST can be reached on (571)270-5371. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Wayne H Cai/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644