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 Remarks
This Office Action is considered to be fully responsive to the communications filed on 01/20/2026. Claims 1-3, 6, 10-12, 15, and 19-21 are currently pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks page 7, filed 01/20/2026, with respect to the objection to the Specification have been fully considered and are persuasive. The amendments made to the Specification overcome the previous objection, and thus it has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks pages 7-9, filed 01/20/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1-3, 6, 10-12, 15, and 19 have been fully considered but are not persuasive. Applicant has amended independent claim 1 to add the step of “receiving a signaling message sent by the first network, wherein the signaling message carries parameter information and comprises at least one of the followings: a registration message, or a configuration update message; and determining the duration of a first timer based on the parameter information” and to specify that the duration of the first timer “is different from durations of the first timer for at least some other terminals that need to access the second network”, where independent claims 10 and 19 are also amended in a similar way to contain analogous subject matter. Applicant argues on pages 7-8 of Remarks that Chun does not teach the newly amended feature of claim 1 that “the signaling message carries parameter information and comprises at least one of the followings: a registration message, or a configuration update message”. Examiner however disagrees with this opinion, as Chun does teach this feature, and a claim mapping has been provided below. For this reason, claims 2-3, 6, 10-12, 15, and 19 are also rejected. Newly added claim 21 is also rejected in view of Chun (US 20220070815 A1) and 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0. For more details about any of the above mentioned, please see the Claim Rejections section 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)(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.
(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.
Claims 1-2, 6, 10-11, and 15, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chun (US 20220070815 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Chun discloses
A network-changing method, performed by a terminal, comprising ([0007] UE switches from first PLMN (network-changing) to a second PLMN):
during reception of services from a first network, determining that access to a second network is necessary ([0007] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message and selects a second PLMN to connect to (determines access to a second network is necessary));
receiving a signaling message sent by the first network, wherein the signaling message carries parameter information and comprises at least one of the followings: a registration message, or a configuration update message ([0445]-[0446], [Table 19], [0447]-[0448], and [Table 21] SIB2 contains barring parameter for PLMNs (signaling message carrying parameter information) as well as various different configurations (configuration update message)); and
determining the duration of a first timer based on the parameter information ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the PLMN is not barred);
starting the first timer, wherein a duration of the first timer for the terminal is different from durations of the first timer for at least some other terminals that need to access the second network ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] access check for national roaming process includes starting Tbarring timer, where the Tbarring timer is a duration of a randomly drawn number (not identical duration)); and
attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer ([0007] UE sends a registration request to the second PLMN based on the disaster related message; [0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the second PLMN is not barred, and the UE can then gain access to the second PLMN (attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer)).
Regarding claim 2, Chun discloses
The network-changing method according to claim 1, wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises ([0007] UE switches from first PLMN (network-changing) to a second PLMN):
finding that a disaster occurs in the first network and that the second network provides services normally ([0007]-[0008] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message (finding that a disaster occurs in the first network) and selects a second PLMN to connect to, sends registration request to the second PLMN, and receives a response from that second PLMN (second network provides services normally)).
Regarding claim 6, Chun discloses
The network-changing method according to claim 5, wherein the parameter information comprises at least one of the following: a random value within a predetermined range, identification information of the terminal, priority information of the terminal, subscription information of the terminal, location information of the terminal, or a service type of the terminal ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] barring parameter is a random value with a predetermined range).
Regarding claim 10, Chun discloses
A terminal, comprising ([0012] UE):
A memory storing a computer program ([0012] UE comprises memory that stores instructions); and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute the computer program to perform operations comprising ([0012] UE comprises processor connected to the memory configured to execute instructions):
during reception of services from a first network, determining that access to a second network is necessary ([0007] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message and selects a second PLMN to connect to (determines access to a second network is necessary));
receiving a signaling message sent by the first network, wherein the signaling message carries parameter information and comprises at least one of the followings: a registration message, or a configuration update message ([0445]-[0446], [Table 19], [0447]-[0448], and [Table 21] SIB2 contains barring parameter for PLMNs (signaling message carrying parameter information) as well as various different configurations (configuration update message)); and
determining the duration of a first timer based on the parameter information ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the PLMN is not barred);
starting the first timer, wherein duration of the first timer for the terminal is different from durations of the first timer for at least some other terminals that need to access the second network ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] access check for national roaming process includes starting Tbarring timer, where the Tbarring timer is a duration of a randomly drawn number (not identical duration)); and
attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer ([0007] UE sends a registration request to the second PLMN based on the disaster related message; [0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the second PLMN is not barred, and the UE can then gain access to the second PLMN (attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer)).
Regarding claim 11, Chun discloses
The terminal according to claim 10, wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises ([0012] UE):
finding that a disaster occurs in the first network and that the second network provides services normally ([0007]-[0008] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message (finding that a disaster occurs in the first network) and selects a second PLMN to connect to, sends registration request to the second PLMN, and receives a response from that second PLMN (second network provides services normally)).
Regarding claim 15, Chun discloses
The terminal according to claim 14, wherein the parameter information comprises at least one of the following: a random value within a predetermined range, identification information of the terminal, priority information of the terminal, subscription information of the terminal, location information of the terminal, or a service type of the terminal ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] barring parameter is a random value with a predetermined range).
Regarding claim 19, Chun discloses
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing a computer program, wherein the computer program, when executed by a processor of a terminal, causes the processor to perform operations comprising ([0012] UE comprises memory that stores instructions to be executed by a processor):
during reception of services from a first network, determining that access to a second network is necessary ([0007] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message and selects a second PLMN to connect to (determines access to a second network is necessary));
receiving a signaling message sent by the first network, wherein the signaling message carries parameter information and comprises at least one of the followings: a registration message, or a configuration update message ([0445]-[0446], [Table 19], [0447]-[0448], and [Table 21] SIB2 contains barring parameter for PLMNs (signaling message carrying parameter information) as well as various different configurations (configuration update message)); and
determining the duration of a first timer based on the parameter information ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the PLMN is not barred);
starting the first timer, wherein duration of the first timer for the terminal is different from durations of the first timer for at least some other terminals that need to access the second network ([0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] access check for national roaming process includes starting Tbarring timer, where the Tbarring timer is a duration of a randomly drawn number (not identical duration)); and
attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer ([0007] UE sends a registration request to the second PLMN based on the disaster related message; [0447]-[0448] and [Table 21] during the access check for national roaming, the barring parameters are applied to control the timer to determine that the second PLMN is not barred, and the UE can then gain access to the second PLMN (attempting to access the second network upon expiration of the first timer)).
Regarding claim 20, Chun discloses
The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises ([0012] UE comprises memory that stores instructions to be executed by a processor):
finding that a disaster occurs in the first network and that the second network provides services normally ([0007]-[0008] UE registers with a first PLMN, receives a disaster related message (finding that a disaster occurs in the first network) and selects a second PLMN to connect to, sends registration request to the second PLMN, and receives a response from that second PLMN (second network provides services normally)).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 3, 12, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chun (US 20220070815 A1), and further in view of 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0.
Regarding claim 3, Chun teaches The network-changing method according to claim 1, as is described above.
Chun does not explicitly teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network.
However, 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 does teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network ([Page 10] Section 5.3.3, [Fig. 5.3.3-1], and [Fig. 5.3.3-2] the UE returns to hPLMN by performing PLMN selection; [Page 15] Sections 5.8.1-5.8.3 UE returns to home network after disaster period).
Chun and 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring a UE for disaster events. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chun to include the teachings of 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 where the UE returns to the home network when a disaster occurs. The rationale behind this would be to enhance user experience by minimizing the time gap between connection release and connection reestablishment ([Page 15] Section 5.8.1 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0).
Regarding claim 12, Chun teaches The terminal according to claim 10, as is described above.
Chun does not explicitly teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network.
However, 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 does teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network ([Page 10] Section 5.3.3, [Fig. 5.3.3-1], and [Fig. 5.3.3-2] the UE returns to hPLMN by performing PLMN selection; [Page 15] Sections 5.8.1-5.8.3 UE returns to home network after disaster period).
Chun and 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring a UE for disaster events. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chun to include the teachings of 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 where the UE returns to the home network when a disaster occurs. The rationale behind this would be to enhance user experience by minimizing the time gap between connection release and connection reestablishment ([Page 15] Section 5.8.1 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0).
Regarding claim 21, Chun teaches The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, as is described above.
Chun does not explicitly teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network.
However, 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 does teach wherein determining that access to the second network is necessary comprises:
finding that the second network resumes to normal, wherein the terminal receives services from the second network before a disaster occurs in the second network, and accesses the first network after the disaster occurs in the second network ([Page 10] Section 5.3.3, [Fig. 5.3.3-1], and [Fig. 5.3.3-2] the UE returns to hPLMN by performing PLMN selection; [Page 15] Sections 5.8.1-5.8.3 UE returns to home network after disaster period).
Chun and 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention, as they are both in the same field of configuring a UE for disaster events. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Chun to include the teachings of 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0 where the UE returns to the home network when a disaster occurs. The rationale behind this would be to enhance user experience by minimizing the time gap between connection release and connection reestablishment ([Page 15] Section 5.8.1 3GPP TR 22.831 V17.1.0).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 ADAM JOEL CERLANEK whose telephone number is (703)756-1272. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00.
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, Joseph Avellino can be reached at (571) 272-3905. 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.
/A.J.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2478 /JAY L VOGEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
Prosecution Insights