Ed the 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
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/7/2023 and 10/3/2024 is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art.
The term “home network” is being interpreted per specification [0031] first network to establish the PDU session of the second network, and the second network is a home network of the terminal.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salkintz et al. (US 20220346051 A1 hereafter Salkintz) in view of Starsinic et al. (US 20240224163 A1 hereafter Starsinic).
Consider claim 1. Salkintz teaches A method ([0006] method) for a terminal ([0003] User Entity/Equipment (Mobile Terminal) (“UE”)) to access public ( [0041] network 140 in a PLMN) and private networks, ([0041] network 120 in a non-public network) wherein the method comprises: sending a first registration request, ([0055] The UE 205 uses a data connection to the SNPN (e.g., a PDU Session 235 established with the SNPN) to register with a PLMN via a TNGF 221 in the PLMN CN 220) wherein the first registration request indicates a request for registration of a terminal in a first network; ( FIG. 3A block 303) receiving a route selection policy of the terminal (FIG. 3A block 301 and [0111] route selection policy rules and a local configuration) for a protocol data unit (PDU) session (FIG. 3A block 303) of a second network, (FIG. 3A block 307) wherein the route selection policy indicates the terminal to select the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network, ( [0124] receives a network access identifier (“NAI”) from a UE attempting to connect to the apparatus wherein the NAI includes an identity of a second mobile communication network) and selecting, based on the route selection policy, ([0051] Policy Control Function (“PCF”) 147) the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network ([0036] A UE may connect to a 5G core network in a PLMN via a 5G core in a Standalone Non-Public Network (“SNPN”) and vice versa. The examiner further notes that the SMF-0 217 selects a TNGF 221 based on the realm provided by the UE 205 (which contains a PLMN identity) and based on other parameters such local configuration, see [0063] block 305).
However Salkintz does not explicitly suggest the second network is a home network of the terminal;
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests the second network is a home network ([0058] Allowed NSSAI for the Serving PLMN[ Public Land Mobile Network i.e. first network] to the HPLMN [Home PLMN i.e. second ‘home’ network] S-NSSAIs) of the terminal
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of of Salkintz into Starsinic in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections using registration home network associated with a first network for network selection.
Consider claim 2. Salkintz teaches the limitations of claim 1. Yet fails to explicitly disclose wherein the first registration request comprises a capability of the terminal; or the method further comprises: sending a radio resource control message, wherein the radio resource control message comprises a capability of the terminal
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests wherein the first registration request comprises a capability of the terminal; ([0003] send a registration request to the network with onboarding credentials) or the method further comprises: sending a radio resource control message, wherein the radio resource control message comprises a capability of the terminal. ([0003] A user equipment (UE) operating in an “Onboarding Mode” may search for a network broadcasting Onboarding Capability Information (OCI))
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Starsinic into the invention of Salkintz in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections and successfully registering with a second mobile communication network.
Consider claim 3. Salkintz suggests the limitation of claim 2, Salkintz further suggests wherein the capability of the terminal comprises supporting single radio by the terminal or supporting dual radio by the terminal. ([0118] The transceiver 625 may include one or more transmitters 630 and one or more receivers 635. Although only one transmitter 630 and one receiver 635 are illustrated, the user equipment apparatus 600 may have any suitable number of transmitters 630 and receivers 635. Further, the transmitter(s) 630 and the receiver(s) 635 may be any suitable type of transmitters and receivers. In one embodiment, the transceiver 625 includes a first transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over licensed radio spectrum and a second transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over unlicensed radio spectrum.)
Consider claim 4. Salkintz suggests the method according to claim 1 and further suggests, wherein the selecting, based on the route selection policy, ([0111] based on one of: route selection policy rules) the first network to ([0111] the first mobile communication network) establish the PDU session of the second network comprises: ([0111] register with the second mobile communication network) selecting, based on the route selection policy, the first network to send a session establishment request, wherein the session establishment request indicates a request to establish the PDU session of the second network by using the first network. ([0062] Optionally, the UE 205 may also include an explicit indication in the PDU Session Establishment Request message indicating that this PDU Session is going to be used for accessing an external PLMN)
Consider claim 5. Salkintz suggests the method according to claim 4. However Salkintz does not explicitly suggest receiving a PDU session rejection response message wherein the PDU session rejection response message comprises a rejection reason, and the rejection reason indicates that establishment of the PDU session of the second network by using the first network is rejected; and skipping, based on the rejection reason, selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or starting a timer, and skipping, in a duration corresponding to the timer selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or updating a local configuration of the terminal.
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests, receiving a PDU session rejection response message, ([0116] the network may send a registration reject to the UE) wherein the PDU session rejection response message comprises a rejection reason, ([0116] The following section describe what information the network may send to the UE in order to indicate to the UE that the network is not able to onboard the UE and help the UE determine a new network to attempt to onboard with) and the rejection reason indicates that establishment of the PDU session of the second network by using the first network is rejected; and skipping, based on the rejection reason, selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or starting a timer, and skipping, in a duration corresponding to the timer, ([0128] a back off timer to indicate how long the UE must wait before attempting to onboard with this same network again.) selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or updating a local configuration of the terminal. ([0131] Once a PDU Session is established for onboarding, the UE and AAA Server (e.g. DN-AAA) may perform application layer operations in order to send UE credentials from the DN-AAA to the UE)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Starsinic into the invention of Salkintz in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections and successfully registering with a second mobile communication network.
Consider claim 6. Salkintz suggests the method according to claim 4 and Salkintz further suggests, wherein the session establishment request ([0087] During Step 1, the 5G-RG 405 sends a NAS message to AMF-0 416 containing a PDU Session Establishment Request message) comprises at least one of the following parameters: a data network identifier (DNN) or slice information,([0061] The NAS message may also contain a certain DNN and S-NSSAI [Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information]) and the at least one parameter is used to indicates to establish the PDU session of the second network. ( [0087] RG 405 may also include an explicit indication in the PDU Session Establishment Request message indicating that this PDU Session is going to be used for accessing an external PLMN.)
Consider claim 7. Salkintz suggests A communication apparatus, ( [0103] FIG. 6 depicts one embodiment of a user equipment apparatus 600) comprising: a transceiver; ([0103] a transceiver 625) at least one processor; ([0103] a processor 605) and one or more memories ([0103] a memory 610) coupled to the at least one processor ([0105] The processor 605 is communicatively coupled to the memory 610) and storing programming instructions for execution ([0113] memory 610 also stores program code and related data) by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to: ([0103] apparatus 600 that may be used for registering with a mobile network through another mobile network) send a first registration request, ([0055] The UE 205 uses a data connection to the SNPN (e.g., a PDU Session 235 established with the SNPN) to register with a PLMN) wherein the first registration request indicates a request for registration of a terminal in a first network; ( FIG. 3A block 303)
receive a route selection policy of the terminal ( FIG. 3A block 301 and [0111] route selection policy rules and a local configuration) for a protocol data unit (PDU) session (FIG. 3A block 303) of a second network, (FIG. 3A block 307) wherein the route selection policy is used to indicates the terminal to select the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network, ([0124] receives a network access identifier (“NAI”) from a UE attempting to connect to the apparatus wherein the NAI includes an identity of a second mobile communication network)
select based on the route selection policy, ([0051] Policy Control Function (“PCF”) 147) the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network. ([0036] A UE may connect to a 5G core network in a PLMN via a 5G core in a Standalone Non-Public Network (“SNPN”) and vice versa. The examiner further notes that the SMF-0 217 selects a TNGF 221 based on the realm provided by the UE 205 (which contains a PLMN identity) and based on other parameters such local configuration (see block 305) (paragraph 63))
However Salkintz does not explicitly suggest the second network is a home network of the terminal;
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests the second network is a home network ([0058] Allowed NSSAI for the Serving PLMN[ (Public Land Mobile Network) i.e. first network] to the HPLMN [(Home PLMN) i.e. second ‘home’ network] S-NSSAIs) of the terminal
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of of Salkintz into Starsinic in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections using registration with home network associated with a first network for network selection.
Consider claim 8. Salkintz suggests the method according to claim 7. Yet fails to explicitly disclose, wherein the first registration request comprises a capability of the terminal; or wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: send a radio resource control message, wherein the radio resource control message comprises a capability of the terminal.
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests wherein the first registration request comprises a capability of the terminal; ([0003] send a registration request to the network with onboarding credentials) or wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: ([0003] A user equipment (UE) operating in an “Onboarding Mode” may search for a network broadcasting Onboarding Capability Information (OCI)) send a radio resource control message, wherein the radio resource control message comprises a capability of the terminal. ([0004] UE may then indicate to the network that a requested slice is not associated with the UE's HPLMN, but is associated with an SNPN)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Starsinic into Salkintz in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections and successfully registering with a second mobile communication network.
Consider claim 9. Salkintz teaches the limitation of claim 8, Salkintz further suggests wherein the capability of the terminal comprises supporting single radio by the terminal or supporting dual radio by the terminal. ([0118] The transceiver 625 may include one or more transmitters 630 and one or more receivers 635. Although only one transmitter 630 and one receiver 635 are illustrated, the user equipment apparatus 600 may have any suitable number of transmitters 630 and receivers 635. Further, the transmitter(s) 630 and the receiver(s) 635 may be any suitable type of transmitters and receivers. In one embodiment, the transceiver 625 includes a first transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over licensed radio spectrum and a second transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over unlicensed radio spectrum.)
Consider claim 10. Salkintz suggests the apparatus according to claim 7, Salkintz further suggests, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: select based on the route selection policy, ([0111] based on one of: route selection policy rules) the first network to ([0111] the first mobile communication network) send a session establishment request, wherein the session establishment request indicates a request to establish the PDU session of the second network by using the first network. ([0062] Optionally, the UE 205 may also include an explicit indication in the PDU Session Establishment Request message indicating that this PDU Session is going to be used for accessing an external PLMN)
Consider claim 11. Salkintz suggests the apparatus according to claim 10. However Salkintz does not explicitly suggest, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: receive a PDU session rejection response message, wherein the PDU session rejection response message comprises a rejection reason, and the rejection reason indicates that establishment of the PDU session of the second network by using the first network is rejected; and skip, based on the rejection reason, selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or starting a timer, and skipping, in a duration corresponding to the timer, selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or updating a local configuration of the terminal.
While in a similar field of endeavor Starsinic suggests wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: receive a PDU session rejection response message ([0116] the network may send a registration reject to the UE) wherein the PDU session rejection response message comprises a rejection reason, ([0116] The following section describe what information the network may send to the UE in order to indicate to the UE that the network is not able to onboard the UE and help the UE determine a new network to attempt to onboard with.) and the rejection reason indicates that establishment of the PDU session of the second network by using the first network is rejected; and skip, based on the rejection reason, selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or starting a timer, and skipping, in a duration corresponding to the timer, ([0128] a back off timer to indicate how long the UE must wait before attempting to onboard with this same network again.) selecting the first network to request to establish the PDU session of the second network; or updating a local configuration of the terminal. ([0131] Once a PDU Session is established for onboarding, the UE and AAA Server (e.g. DN-AAA) may perform application layer operations in order to send UE credentials from the DN-AAA to the UE)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Starsinic into the invention of Salkintz in order to use the registration of Salkintz with the onboarding capability of Starsinic for establishing data connections and successfully registering with a second mobile communication network.
Consider claim 12. Salkintz suggests the apparatus according to claim 10 and Salkintz further suggests, wherein the session establishment request ([0087] During Step 1, the 5G-RG 405 sends a NAS message to AMF-0 416 containing a PDU Session Establishment Request message) comprises at least one of the following parameters: a data network identifier (DNN) or slice information, ( The NAS message may also contain a certain DNN and S-NSSAI [Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information]) and the at least one parameter indicates to establish the PDU session of the second network. ( [0087] RG 405 may also include an explicit indication in the PDU Session Establishment Request message indicating that this PDU Session is going to be used for accessing an external PLMN.)
Claims 13-14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salkintz.
Consider claim 13. Salkintz suggests A communication apparatus, ([0121] FIG. 7 … apparatus 700) comprising: a transceiver; ([0121] transceiver 725) at least one processor; ([0121] processor 705) and one or more memories ([0121] memory 710) coupled to the at least one processor ([0123] processor 705 is communicatively coupled to the memory 710) and storing programming instructions for execution ([0123] 705 executes instructions stored in the memory 710) by the at least one processor to cause the communication apparatus to: obtain ([0055] The UE 205 uses a data connection) at least one piece of the following information: a capability of a terminal or a network policy, (FIG. 3A block 301 and [0111] route selection policy rules and a local configuration) wherein the capability of the terminal is used to indicates a capability of receiving and sending a signal by the terminal, ([0111] register with the second mobile communication network via the first mobile communication network) and the network policy indicates at least one of: that a first network allows or prohibits the terminal to establish a protocol data unit PDU session of a second network based on enforcing a network policy, ( [0072] the PDU Session is configured to enforce a certain policy (e.g. QoS policy, charging policy, security policy, etc.)), determine a route selection policy of the terminal for the protocol data unit PDU session of the second network based on at least one of the capability of the terminal or the network policy, ([0036] A UE may connect to a 5G core network in a PLMN via a 5G core in a Standalone Non-Public Network (“SNPN”) and vice versa. The examiner further notes that the SMF-0 217 selects a TNGF 221 based on the realm provided by the UE 205 (which contains a PLMN identity) and based on other parameters such local configuration [0063] block 305). wherein the route selection policy indicates the terminal to select the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network; and configure the route selection policy for the terminal.
Although Salkintz network policy does not explicitly disclose allows or prohibits the terminal from selecting the first network, enforcing a security policy requires allowing or prohibiting the terminal from selecting the first network when the first network does not meet policy, for the simple purpose enforcing the policy.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to allows or prohibits the terminal from selecting the first network to establish a protocol data unit PDU session of a second network to enforce the policy and maintain the desired QoS and/or security.
Consider claim 14. Salkintz suggests the communication apparatus according to claim 13 and Salkintz further suggests, wherein the capability of the terminal comprises supporting single radio by the terminal or supporting dual radio by the terminal. ([0118] the transceiver 625 includes a first transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over licensed radio spectrum and a second transmitter/receiver pair used to communicate with a mobile communication network over unlicensed radio spectrum.)
Consider claim 16. Salkintz suggests the communication apparatus according to claim 13 and Salkintz further suggests, wherein a session establishment request comprises at least one of the following parameters: a data network identifier (DNN) or slice information, and the at least one parameter to indicates to establish the PDU session of the second network.( [0061] NAS message may also contain a certain DNN and S-NSSAI and shall contain a Network Access Identifier (NAI) including the identity of the selected PLMN)
Claims 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salkintz in view of Velev et al. et al. ( US 20230093965 A1 hereafter Velev)
Consider claim 15. Salkintz suggests the communication apparatus according to claim 14, Salkintz further suggests and the terminal is prohibited from selecting the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network, ([0085] the 5G-RG 405 may determine whether the UE 205 should be registered with the PLMN-2 via a data connection (e.g., PDU Session)) determine that the route selection policy is rejecting selection of the first network by the terminal to establish the PDU session of the second network; ([0036] A UE may connect to a 5G core network in a PLMN via a 5G core in a Standalone Non-Public Network (“SNPN”) and vice versa. The examiner further notes that the SMF-0 217 selects a TNGF 221 based on the realm provided by the UE 205 (which contains a PLMN identity) and based on other parameters such local configuration (see [0063] block 305)) or if the terminal supports single radio, ([0118] The transceiver 625 may include one or more transmitters 630 and one or more receivers 635) and the terminal is allowed to select the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network, determine that the route selection policy is allowing the terminal to select the first network to establish the PDU session of the second network. ([0151] In some embodiments of the first method, determining to register with the second mobile communication network via the first mobile communication network comprises receiving an internal indication based on one of: route selection policy rules and a local configuration. In some embodiments of the first method, the request comprises information indicating to the first network that the data connection is for registration with a second network.)
However Salkintz fails to explicitly suggest, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: if the terminal supports dual radio, rejecting selection of the first network by the terminal to establish the PDU session of the second network; or if the terminal supports single radio,
While in a similar field of endeavor Velev suggests, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to: if the terminal supports dual radio, ([0145] UE 205 using the USIM-2 209 and RAN (e.g., whether dual-connectivity or carrier aggregation are used)). and the terminal is allowed to register with the second network twice by using a same subscription, ([0155] In a variation, the AMF queries a local database in the serving network whether other registrations with the same MSCI are performed in order to provide multi SIM optimizations in case the USIMS belong to different MNOs but in case of roaming, the same roaming partner is selected for both USIMs.) determine that the route selection policy is ([0071] Policy Control Function (“PCF”) 147), rejecting selection of the first network by the terminal to establish the PDU session of the second network; or if the terminal supports single radio, ([0082] FIG. 2A depicts both a single USIM UE 200)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of of Salkintz into Velev in order to use the single radio registration of Salkintz with the multiple subscriber identity for route selection from a first network to a second network.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANKLIN H CASTLE whose telephone number is (571)272-4597. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 05:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison 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.
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/FRANKLIN HAYES CASTLE/Examiner, Art Unit 2647
MARCOS L. TORRES
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2647
/MARCOS L TORRES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647