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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 8 and 15 objected to because of the following informalities. The claims contain the terms “IMSI” and “MSISDN”, these acronyms need to be spelled out.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. During examination, the claims must be interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably allow. In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 367 F.3d 1359, 1369, 70 U.S.P.Q.2d 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. 2004).
Independent claim 8 recites a “computer-readable media,” which is defined in open ended exemplary manner by the specification. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer-readable media covers forms of transitory propagating signals per se in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media. Transitory propagating signals are non-statutory subject matter. In re Nuijten, 500 F.3d 1346, 1356-57, 84 U.S.P.Q.2d 1495, 1502 (Fed. Cir. 2007) (transitory embodiments are not directed to statutory subject matter). See also Subject Matter Eligibility of Computer Readable Media, 1351 Off. Gaz. Pat. Office 212 (Feb. 23, 2010).
Examiner suggests adding the word “non-transitory.”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
As to Independent claims 1, 8 and 15:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 1, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 8, No, as explained above.
For claim 15, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Do the claims recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “receiving a location session record (LSR) dataset from an LSR probe corresponding to a network; comparing at least a portion of data from an access and mobility management function (AMF) dataset to at least a portion of data from the LSR dataset; and upon identifying a match between a record in the AMF dataset and a corresponding record in the LSR dataset, enriching the corresponding record in the LSR dataset with IMSI or MSISDN from the record in the AMF dataset.” recited in independent claims 1, 8, and 15 is the abstract idea of a mental process. It could also be a mathematical process while comparing the records. See MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2)(I)(A), 2106.04(III).
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, the limitations “comparing at least a portion of data…” and identifying a match between AMF and LRS dataset, in claim 1, are just a way of data manipulation.
No, the limitations “computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for enriching location session record data” recited in independent claim 8 are an additional elements that amounts to merely uses a computer in its ordinary capacity as a tool to perform an existing process. See MPEP §§ 2106.04(d), 2106.05(f)(2).
No, the limitations “A system for enriching location session record data, the system comprising: user equipment (UE);a node configured to wirelessly communicate with the UE and provide access to a network; and an enrichment engine comprising” recited in independent claim 15 are an additional elements that amounts to merely uses a communication system in its ordinary capacity as a tool to perform an existing process. See MPEP §§ 2106.04(d), 2106.05(f)(2).
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, the limitations “comparing at least a portion of data…” and identifying a match between AMF and LRS dataset, in claim 1, are just a way of data manipulation.
No, the limitations “computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for enriching location session record data” recited in independent claim 8 are an additional elements that amounts to merely uses a computer in its ordinary capacity as a tool to perform an existing process. See MPEP §§ 2106.04(d), 2106.05(f)(2).
No, the limitations “A system for enriching location session record data, the system comprising: user equipment (UE);a node configured to wirelessly communicate with the UE and provide access to a network; and an enrichment engine comprising” recited in independent claim 15 are an additional elements that amounts to merely uses a communication system in its ordinary capacity as a tool to perform an existing process. See MPEP §§ 2106.04(d), 2106.05(f)(2).
As to claim 2, 9 and 16:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 2, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 9, No, as explained above.
For claim 16, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “wherein the AMF dataset corresponds to per call measurement data collected by an AMF probe “. This is just the type of data being used in the abstract idea as shown for claim 1.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
As to claim 3, 10 and 17:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 3, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 10, No, as explained above.
For claim 17, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “wherein the portion of data corresponds to: a temporary mobile subscriber identity (m-TMSI), a cell name, and a time stamp “. This is just the type of data being used in the abstract idea as shown for claims 1, 8 and 15.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
As to claim 4, 11 and 18:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 4, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 11, No, as explained above.
For claim 18, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “utilizing the enriched corresponding record in the LSR dataset, updating one or more key performance indicators for a customer corresponding to the enriched corresponding record “. This step is related to updating a data set.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
As to claim 5, 12 and 19:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 5, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 12, No, as explained above.
For claim 19, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “utilizing the updated one or more key performance indicators for the customer, determining a network experience score “. This step is related to data manipulation.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
As to claim 6 and 13:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 6, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 13, No, as explained above.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “receiving a warrant for information associated with a customer “. This step is related to looking up information of a user.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
As to claim 7, 14 and 20:
Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP § 2106.03.
For claim 7, Yes, the claim is a process.
For claim 13, No, as explained above.
For claim 20, Yes, the claim is a machine.
Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP § 2106.04(II)(A)(1).
Yes, the limitation “based on the warrant, providing the information associated with the customer, the information derived from the enriched corresponding record “. This step is related to looking up information of a user.
Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP § 2106.04(d).
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP § 2106.05.
No, all elements are part of the abstract idea as shown above.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-9, 11, 13-16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Natarajan et al. (US 2023/0319906 A1) in view of Natarajan et al. (US 2023/0319906 A1).
Claim 1. Natarajan et al. disclose A method for enriching location session record data (FIG. 1-15), the method comprising:
receiving a location session record (LSR) dataset from an LSR probe corresponding to a network (read as the network's UDM provides means for the storage, maintenance, and update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices [0008]. UDM store information similar to LSR as shown in FIG. 2);
comparing at least a portion of data from an access and mobility management function (AMF) dataset to at least a portion of data from the LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data.); and
upon (since this a method claim, the statement after, “upon”, is not positively claimed. It may or may not happened. Consequently, it does not have any patentable weight) identifying a match between a record in the AMF dataset and a corresponding record in the LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data and there must be a match), enriching the corresponding record in the LSR dataset with IMSI or MSISDN from the record in the AMF dataset (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Natarajan et al. does not explicitly disclose: location session record (LSR). However, Natarajan et al. disclose UMD which is used to store connection information like the one shown in FIG. 2 of the instant application.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Natarajan et al. in order to accomplish all limitations of the claimed invention: namely the idea of updating the connection information of a user equipment, which allows supporting simultaneous access by user equipment to mutually exclusive, isolated, or disjointed network slices … by maintaining and updating such user equipment connection information the user equipment does not need to disconnect and register with the network each time services are required from another network slice not actively connected to the user equipment (Natarajan et al. [0001, 0008]).
Claim 2. The method of claim 1, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the AMF dataset corresponds to per call measurement data collected by an AMF probe (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Connection information includes call measurement data.).
Claim 4. The method of claim 1, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, utilizing the enriched corresponding record in the LSR dataset, updating one or more key performance indicators for a customer corresponding to the enriched corresponding record (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Claim 6. The method of claim 1, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising receiving a warrant for information associated with a customer (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claim 7. The method of claim 6, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, based on the warrant, providing the information associated with the customer, the information derived from the enriched corresponding record (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claim 8. Natarajan et al. disclose One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations for enriching location session record data (read as at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor… [0024]), the operations comprising:
receiving a location session record (LSR) dataset from an LSR probe corresponding to a network (read as the network's UDM provides means for the storage, maintenance, and update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices [0008]. UDM store information similar to LSR as shown in FIG. 2);
comparing at least a portion of data from an access and mobility management function (AMF) dataset to at least a portion of data from an LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data.); and
upon (since this a method claim, the statement after, “upon”, is not positively claimed. It may or may not happened. Consequently, it does not have any patentable weight) identifying a match between a record in the AMF dataset and a corresponding record in the LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data and there must be a match), enriching the corresponding record in the LSR dataset with IMSI or MSISDN from the record in the AMF dataset (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Natarajan et al. does not explicitly disclose: location session record (LSR). However, Natarajan et al. disclose UMD which is used to store connection information like the one shown in FIG. 2 of the instant application.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Natarajan et al. in order to accomplish all limitations of the claimed invention: namely the idea of updating the connection information of a user equipment, which allows supporting simultaneous access by user equipment to mutually exclusive, isolated, or disjointed network slices … by maintaining and updating such user equipment connection information the user equipment does not need to disconnect and register with the network each time services are required from another network slice not actively connected to the user equipment (Natarajan et al. [0001, 0008]).
Claim 9. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the AMF dataset corresponds to per call measurement data collected by an AMF probe (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Connection information includes call measurement data.).
Claim 11. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, utilizing the enriched corresponding record in the LSR dataset, updating one or more key performance indicators for a customer corresponding to the enriched corresponding record (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Claim 13. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising receiving a warrant for information associated with a customer (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claim 14. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 13, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, based on the warrant, providing the information associated with the customer, the information derived from the enriched corresponding record (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claim 15. Natarajan et al. disclose A system for enriching location session record data (FIG. 1), the system comprising:
user equipment (UE) (FIG. 1, item 102);
a node configured to wirelessly communicate with the UE and provide access to a network (FIG. 1, item 104); and
an enrichment engine comprising:
a location session record (LSR) probe configured to receive an LSR dataset corresponding to the network (read as the network's UDM provides means for the storage, maintenance, and update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices [0008]. UDM store information similar to LSR as shown in FIG. 2); and
an access and mobility management function (AMF) probe configured to receive an AMF dataset corresponding to the network (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data.), wherein the enrichment engine compares at least a portion of data from the AMF dataset to at least a portion of data from the LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data.) and, upon identifying a match between a record in the AMF dataset and a corresponding record in the LSR dataset (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Updating the connection information must include identification and authentication, which is a way of comparing portion of the data and there must be a match), enriches the corresponding record in the LSR dataset with IMSI or MSISDN from the record in the AMF dataset (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Natarajan et al. does not explicitly disclose: location session record (LSR). However, Natarajan et al. disclose UMD which is used to store connection information like the one shown in FIG. 2 of the instant application.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to use the teaching of Natarajan et al. in order to accomplish all limitations of the claimed invention: namely the idea of updating the connection information of a user equipment, which allows supporting simultaneous access by user equipment to mutually exclusive, isolated, or disjointed network slices … by maintaining and updating such user equipment connection information the user equipment does not need to disconnect and register with the network each time services are required from another network slice not actively connected to the user equipment (Natarajan et al. [0001, 0008]).
Claim 16. The system of claim 15, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the AMF dataset corresponds to per call measurement data collected by the AMF probe (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008]. Connection information includes call measurement data.).
Claim 18. The system of claim 15, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the enriched corresponding record in the LSR dataset is utilized to update one or more key performance indicators for a customer corresponding to the enriched corresponding record (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161]. The term “enriching” is being interpreted as “updating”.).
Claim 19. The system of claim 18, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the updated one or more key performance indicators for the customer are utilized to determine a network experience score (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claim 20. The system of claim 15, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the information associated with the customer and derived from the enriched corresponding record is provided based on a warrant for information associated with a customer (read as the user equipment between the apparatus and the network function upon triggering a release request from the apparatus or upon receiving a release request from the network function [0026]).
Claims 3, 5, 10, 12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Natarajan et al. (US 2023/0319906 A1) in view of Chandrashekar et al. (US 2025/0247808 A1).
Claim 3. The method of claim 1, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the portion of data (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008].) corresponds to: a temporary mobile subscriber identity (m-TMSI), a cell name, and a time stamp.
Natarajan et al. do not explicitly disclose the details of the AMF. However, in the related field of endeavor Chandrashekar et al. disclose: an AMF may perform one or more of the following functions: [0137] Terminating the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface (N2); [0138] Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1); [0139] NAS ciphering and integrity protection of a network; [0140] Mobility Management (MM) layer NAS termination; [0141] Session Management (SM) layer NAS forwarding; [0142] Authenticating one or more UEs in the network; [0143] Managing the security context of the network; [0144] Registration management; [0145] Connection management; [0146] Reachability management; [0147] Selecting a SMF; [0148] Mobility Management; [0149] Apply mobility related policies from PCF [0136]. Clearly, the AMF deals with authentication which could include m-TMSI as well connection information which time steps and connection time.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Natarajan et al. with the teaching of Chandrashekar et al. in order to provide managing the PDU session for the user equipment includes at least one of: handling of NAS exchanges with the user equipment about the PDU Session, handling the User plane activation and deactivation for the PDU Session; handling mobility aspects of the PDU session (Chandrashekar et al. [0015]).
Claim 5. The method of claim 4, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, utilizing the updated one or more key performance indicators for the customer (read as UDM 118 updates UE 102's registration state to reflect the new details provided by AMF1 108a [0161].), determining a network experience score.
Natarajan et al. do not explicitly disclose: determining a network experience score. However, in the related field of endeavor Chandrashekar et al. disclose: an AMF may perform one or more of the following functions: [0137] Terminating the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface (N2); [0138] Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1); [0139] NAS ciphering and integrity protection of a network; [0140] Mobility Management (MM) layer NAS termination; [0141] Session Management (SM) layer NAS forwarding; [0142] Authenticating one or more UEs in the network; [0143] Managing the security context of the network; [0144] Registration management; [0145] Connection management; [0146] Reachability management; [0147] Selecting a SMF; [0148] Mobility Management; [0149] Apply mobility related policies from PCF [0136]. Clearly, the AMF deals with Quality of Service (QoS) which could be interpreted as a network experience score.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Natarajan et al. with the teaching of Chandrashekar et al. in order to provide managing the PDU session for the user equipment includes at least one of: handling of NAS exchanges with the user equipment about the PDU Session, handling the User plane activation and deactivation for the PDU Session; handling mobility aspects of the PDU session (Chandrashekar et al. [0015]).
Claim 10. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 8, Natarajan et al. disclose,
wherein the portion of data (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008].) corresponds to: a temporary mobile subscriber identity (m-TMSI), a cell name, and a time stamp.
Natarajan et al. do not explicitly disclose the details of the AMF. However, in the related field of endeavor Chandrashekar et al. disclose: an AMF may perform one or more of the following functions: [0137] Terminating the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface (N2); [0138] Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1); [0139] NAS ciphering and integrity protection of a network; [0140] Mobility Management (MM) layer NAS termination; [0141] Session Management (SM) layer NAS forwarding; [0142] Authenticating one or more UEs in the network; [0143] Managing the security context of the network; [0144] Registration management; [0145] Connection management; [0146] Reachability management; [0147] Selecting a SMF; [0148] Mobility Management; [0149] Apply mobility related policies from PCF [0136]. Clearly, the AMF deals with authentication which could include m-TMSI as well connection information which time steps and connection time.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Natarajan et al. with the teaching of Chandrashekar et al. in order to provide managing the PDU session for the user equipment includes at least one of: handling of NAS exchanges with the user equipment about the PDU Session, handling the User plane activation and deactivation for the PDU Session; handling mobility aspects of the PDU session (Chandrashekar et al. [0015]).
Claim 12. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 11, Natarajan et al. disclose,
further comprising, utilizing the updated data (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008].) one or more key performance indicators for the customer, determining a network experience score.
Natarajan et al. do not explicitly disclose: determining a network experience score. However, in the related field of endeavor Chandrashekar et al. disclose: an AMF may perform one or more of the following functions: [0137] Terminating the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface (N2); [0138] Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1); [0139] NAS ciphering and integrity protection of a network; [0140] Mobility Management (MM) layer NAS termination; [0141] Session Management (SM) layer NAS forwarding; [0142] Authenticating one or more UEs in the network; [0143] Managing the security context of the network; [0144] Registration management; [0145] Connection management; [0146] Reachability management; [0147] Selecting a SMF; [0148] Mobility Management; [0149] Apply mobility related policies from PCF [0136]. Clearly, the AMF deals with Quality of Service (QoS) which could be interpreted as a network experience score.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Natarajan et al. with the teaching of Chandrashekar et al. in order to provide managing the PDU session for the user equipment includes at least one of: handling of NAS exchanges with the user equipment about the PDU Session, handling the User plane activation and deactivation for the PDU Session; handling mobility aspects of the PDU session (Chandrashekar et al. [0015]).
Claim 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the portion of data (read as update of user equipment connection information of one or more network slices. For example, the UDM may receive and store user equipment connection information received from one or more AMFs [0008].) corresponds to: a temporary mobile subscriber identity (m-TMSI), a cell name, and a time stamp.
Natarajan et al. do not explicitly disclose the details of the AMF. However, in the related field of endeavor Chandrashekar et al. disclose: an AMF may perform one or more of the following functions: [0137] Terminating the RAN Control Plane (CP) interface (N2); [0138] Non-access Stratum (NAS) signaling (N1); [0139] NAS ciphering and integrity protection of a network; [0140] Mobility Management (MM) layer NAS termination; [0141] Session Management (SM) layer NAS forwarding; [0142] Authenticating one or more UEs in the network; [0143] Managing the security context of the network; [0144] Registration management; [0145] Connection management; [0146] Reachability management; [0147] Selecting a SMF; [0148] Mobility Management; [0149] Apply mobility related policies from PCF [0136]. Clearly, the AMF deals with authentication which could include m-TMSI as well connection information which time steps and connection time.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to modify the teaching of Natarajan et al. with the teaching of Chandrashekar et al. in order to provide managing the PDU session for the user equipment includes at least one of: handling of NAS exchanges with the user equipment about the PDU Session, handling the User plane activation and deactivation for the PDU Session; handling mobility aspects of the PDU session (Chandrashekar et al. [0015]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Refer to PTO-892.
Additional prior art is included in PTO-892. In this regard:
Muthuchamy et al. (WO 2023278433 A1) disclose method and system of monitoring/controlling communication between access and mobility management function (AMF) and a User equipment and AMF and a Radio Access Network (RAN).
Abe (US 20240388870 A1) discloses ideas related to … a communication function between the AMF 30 and the gNB 20, and an interface between the AMF 30 and the SMF 40. The management section 15 illustrated in FIG. 5 corresponds to, for example, an access authentication function and an access permission function of the AMF 30 [0079].
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MOHAMMED . RACHEDINE
Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/MOHAMMED RACHEDINE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646