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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I, claims 1-12, in the reply filed on 11/05/2025, is hereby acknowledged. The non-elected Species II, claims 13 (14-17 included), stand canceled. Applicant’s confirmation is requested via reply to this office action.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 7/13/2023, is acknowledged. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-12, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al (hereinafter Park) (US 2023/0276342, family earliest priority WO2022014973-IDS).
Regarding claims 1, 7, Park discloses a processor of a user equipment (UE) configured to perform operations (a communication system (1) includes wireless devices (100a to 100f), base stations (BSs) (200) and a network (300), (para. 0035, fig. 1), the wireless devices 100a-100f may be referred to as User Equipment (UE), para 0038, the first radio 100 may include at least one transceiver, such as transceiver 106, at least one processing chip, such as processing chip 101, and/or one or more antennas 108, para. 0062, Processing chip 101 may include at least one processor. such as processor 102, and at least one memory, such as memory 104, para. 0063) comprising:
receiving broadcast information from a cell of a public land mobile network (PLMN) including a parameter indicating support for disaster roaming (when a disaster occurs, the roaming provider may accommodate the subscriber of the disaster by broadcasting the PLMN identifier of the disaster, when a disaster occurs, register a PLMN identifier of the disaster in a core network of the roaming provider to accommodate a subscriber of the disaster, cause the wireless network to record the PLMN identifier in an SIB message and broadcast, and traffic can be mutually transmitted through the core network between the operators, para. 0148), wherein the PLMN is a forbidden PLMN (FPLMN) for the UE (The 3 GPP system may provide a means by which the UE can connect to the PLMN in the forbidden PLMN list when the disaster condition is applied and cannot use another PLMN except in the forbidden PLMN list, para. 0165);
attempting a registration with the FPLMN by sending a registration request to the PLMN including a PLMN ID of a determined PLMN under disaster (when a disaster occurs, the roaming provider may accommodate the subscriber of the disaster by broadcasting the PLMN identifier of the disaster, when a disaster occurs, register a PLMN identifier of the disaster in a core network of the roaming provider to accommodate a subscriber of the disaster, cause the wireless network to record the PLMN identifier in an SIB message and broadcast, and traffic can be mutually transmitted through the core network between the operators, para 0148, If the UE obtains information that there is no coverage for the HPLMN (Home PLMN) and that the disaster condition applies to the UE's HPLMN, the UE may register with the PLMN providing the disaster roaming service, para. 0160, The 3GPP system can support a means by which PLMN operator can recognize a region to which disaster conditions apply, para. 0161. The UE may select/attempt registration in the following order in different PLMNs where available and acceptable, if the location area is not in a "forbidden LAS for roaming" list and the tracking area is not in a "forbidden TAs for roaming" list, para 0183, The UE may perform a registration request for a selected PLMN of the second PLMN, and when the selected PLMN accepts the registration request of the UE, the UE may receive a disaster roaming service through the selected PLMN, paras. 0229, 0230);
receiving a message including a cause code indicating the disaster roaming for the FPLMN is not allowed in a current tracking area (TA) of the cell for the determined PLMN under disaster (the 3 GPP system may enable the UE to obtain information that a disaster condition applies to a particular PLMN. If the UE has no coverage, the UE then obtains information that there is no coverage for the HPLMN (Home PLMN) and that the disaster condition applies to the UE's HPLMN, the UE may register with the PLMN offering the disaster roaming service. The 3GPP system can support a means by which PLMN operator can recognize a region to which disaster conditions apply. The 3 GPP system can support service provision for disaster inbound roamer only within certain regions where disaster conditions applies, paras. 0157-0160. For a UE operating in UE operating mode a or b, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a prohibited PLMN data field of SIM/USIM. This data field may be extended in Mobile Equipment (ME) memory. For a UE operating in a UE operation mode C, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service (GPRS service) list of SIM/USIM or a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service (GPRS service) list of ME, para 0188, If no PLMNs are found that cannot register with any PLMNs and provide limited local operator service, the UE may indicate to the user "no service" and wait until a new PLMNs are detected or a new location area or tracking areas of an allowed PLMNs that is not in the prohibited LA list or the prohibited TA list is found, then repeat the procedure, paras. 0190-0191, If the PLMN is selected but registration is denied for reasons of "PLMN not allowed" so that the UE cannot register, the UE may add that PLMN to the prohibited PLMN list, paras. 0207, 0208 0214, If PLMN has been selected but registration is denied for reasons "GPRS services not allowed in this PLMN" so that the UE cannot register for a Packet Switched (PS) service, The UE should not attempt to register for E-UTRAN or UTRAN PS or GSM edge Radio Access Network (GERAN) PS in that network, para. 0213);
storing a tracking area identifier (TAI) of the cell (the UE may select/attempt registration in the following order in different PLMNs where available and acceptable, if the location area is not in a "forbidden LAS for roaming" list and the tracking area is not in a "forbidden TAs for roaming" list, paras. 0163, 0181, If the UE's registration attempt is rejected by the network for reasons of "permanent" PLMN restriction, the PLMN identifier may be written to a prohibited PLMN list stored in the SIM/USlM's data field, para. 0216); and
preventing further registration attempts with the FPLMN for the determined PLMN under disaster when the UE is in the current TA (If the PLMN is selected but registration is denied for reasons of "PLMN not allowed" so that the UE cannot register, the UE may add that PLMN to the prohibited PLMN list. Unless the user selects the same PLMN again, the UE should not attempt to register again with that network, para. 0212, If the UE's registration attempt is rejected by the network for reasons of "permanent" PLMN restriction, the PLMN identifier may be written to a prohibited PLMN list stored in the SIM/USlM's data field, para. 0216). Park further discloses the wireless device 100 may include at least one transceiver, such as a transceiver 106, at least one processing chip, such as a processing chip 101, and/or one or more antennas 108 (para. 0060).
Regarding claims 2, 8, Park further discloses that the operations further comprise:
attempting the registration with the FPLMN using the determined PLMN under disaster when the UE has moved to a new TA (If no PLMNs are found that cannot register with any PLMNs and provide limited local operator service, the IJE may indicate to the user "no service" and wait until a new PLMNs are detected or a new location region or tracking region of the allowed PLMNs that is not in the prohibited La list or the prohibited TA list is found, then repeat the procedure, para. 0191, if a PLMN is selected but the UE cannot register for other reasons, the UE may attempt to register with the PLMN if a new La (not in the prohibited La list) of the selected PLMN is detected, para. 0213).
Regarding claims 3, 9, Park further discloses that the TAI is stored in a list and is associated with the FPLMN (the UE may select/attempt registration in the following order in different PLMNs where available and acceptable, if the location area is not in a "forbidden LAs for roaming" list and the tracking area is not in a "forbidden TAs for roaming" list, para. 0181, if the UE registration attempt is rejected by the network for reasons of "permanent" PLMN restriction, the PLMN identifier may be written to a prohibited PLMN list stored in the SIM/USlM's data field, para. 0216).
Regarding claims 4, 10, Park further discloses that the TAI is stored in a list and is associated with the determined PLMN under disaster (For a UE operating in UE operating mode A or B, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a prohibited PLMN data field of SIM/USIM. This data field may be extended in Mobile Equipment (ME) memory. For a UE operating in a UE operation mode C, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service (GPRS service) list of SIM/USIM or a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service, para. 0188. (GPRS service) list of ME. If there is no PLMN available except for the PLMN in the prohibited PLMN data field of the SIM/USIM, and also if the available PLMN indicates that the disaster condition is applied, this PLMN may be considered to be allowed for the UE to register while the disaster condition is applied, para 0188, a disaster may occur in the HPLMN (i.e., a disaster condition satisfies) while the UE is serviced on the HPLMN (hereinafter, the first PLMN), so that servicing is impossible. Accordingly, the UE may attempt disaster roaming to neighboring PLMNs according to operator policies and/or country regulations. Here, all of the PLMNs available at the current location of the UE may be included in the prohibited PLMN list (hereinafter, the first list), and there may not be one available PLMNs, para. 0225).
Regarding claims 5, 11, Park further discloses that the UE determines the determined PLMN under disaster based on information stored locally on the UE (Once the UE returns to coverage of the already registered PLMNs (indicated by the registered PLMNs stored in the SIMIUSIM), the UE may perform a location update to the new location area if necessary. Alternatively to this, if the UE is in automatic network selection mode and finds coverage of the HPLMN or EHPLMN, the UE may register with the HPLMN (if there is no EHPLMN list) or the highest priority EHPLMN of available EHPLMN (if there is an EHPLMN list) and may not return to the last registered PLMN. If there is an EHPLMN list and is not empty, it can be used. The operator may control by USIM settings whether the UE supporting this option will follow this alternative operation, para. 0177. For a UE operating in UE operating mode A or B, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a prohibited PLMN data field of SIMIUSIM. This data field may be extended in Mobile Equipment (ME) memory. For a UE operating in a UE operation mode C, the allowable PLMN is a PLMN that is not in a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service (GPRS service) list of SIM/USIM or a forbidden PLMNs for GPRS service (GPRS service) list of ME. If there is no PLMN available except for the PLMN in the prohibited PLMN data field of the SIMIUSIM, and also if the available PLMN indicates that the disaster condition is applied, this PLMN may be considered to be allowed for the UE to register while the disaster condition is applied, para. 0188).
Regarding claims 6, 12, Park further discloses that the determined PLMN under disaster is a home PLMN (HPLMN) of the UE only if the UE is located in a country of the HPLMN (depending on regulatory requirements or the operator's policy, the 3GPP system may support the PLMN operator to be aware of failure or recovery of other PLMN (s) in the same country when a disaster condition is applied or a disaster condition is not applied, para. 0162, disaster may occur in the HPLMN (i.e., a disaster condition satisfies) while the UE is serviced on the HPLMN (hereinafter, the first PLMN), so that servicing is impossible. Accordingly, the UE may attempt disaster roaming to neighboring PLMNs according to operator policies and/or country regulations. Here, all of the PLMNs available at the current location of the UE may be included in the prohibited PLMN list (hereinafter, the first list), and there may not be one available PLMNs. For example, mobile telecommunications providers 3rd parties available in Korea may include each other in a prohibited PLMN list to prevent unnecessary request attempts, para. 0225).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI whose telephone number is (571) 272-3014. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30am to 4:00pm.
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/QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI/
Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2632.