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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/09/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5-6, 9, and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung et al (Publication number: US 2016/0198314) in view of Zhang et al (Publication number: US 2021/0385192).
Consider Claim 1, Jung et al shows a communication device (see figures 2 and 11; Read as host terminal), comprising:
(a) A transmission unit configured to transmit a connection request to a first communication device (see figures 12, 14, and 16; paragraphs 143-145); (In operation 1210, the host terminal may transmit an invitation signaling message, including communication invitation tag information and a terminal list of terminals (the host terminal, the first client terminal, and the second client terminal), to a third client terminal to be invited).
(b) A reception unit configured to receive connection permission from the first communication device (see figures 12, 14, and 16; paragraphs 143-145); (In operation 1230, the third client terminal may transmit a communication acceptance message indicating communication establishment acceptance to the host terminal in response to the invitation signaling message received from the host terminal).
(c) A control unit configured to establish a first connection to the first communication device, wherein the control unit controls a communication of a second communication device, and, in a case where a certain condition is satisfied, the control unit enables a function of controlling a wireless communication of the second communication device and performing the wireless communication of the second communication device, and autonomously establishes a second connection to the second communication device (see figure 13; paragraphs 150-154); (In operation 1310, the second client terminal may transmit a reentry signaling message, including communication reentry tag information and a terminal list of terminals, to the host terminal and the first client terminal. Herein, the second client terminal, and the host terminal and the first client terminal, which have established communication with the second client terminal, may be included in the terminal list of terminals).
(d) The certain condition is a case in which a signal related to a state of emergency is received from at least one of the first communication device, the second communication device, and another communication device, the processor applies a communication parameter included in the signal related to the state of emergency to the function (see paragraphs 4, 5, and 13).
However, Jung et al does not specifically show that the terminal is connected to a target public land mobile network (PLMN), via the communication device.
In related art, Zhang et al shows that the terminal is connected to a target public land mobile network (PLMN), via the communication device (see paragraphs 54-56); (The UE may obtain a data connection with a first wireless network (e.g., a first PLMN) based on a first subscription (e.g., the SIM 308). At 504, the UE may obtain a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network (e.g., a second PLMN) through the data connection based on a second subscription (e.g., the SIM 310) associated with the second wireless network. At 506, the UE may communicate with the second wireless network through the tunnel connection using the data connection).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the PLMN of Zhang et al into the wireless network of Jung et al in order to provide the ability to access multiple networks (see Zhang et al; paragraphs 4-7, and 54-56).
Consider Claim 6, Jung et al shows a communication method performed by a communication device (see figures 2 and 11; Read as host terminal), the communication method comprising:
(a) Transmitting a connection request to a first communication device (see figures 12, 14, and 16; paragraphs 143-145); (In operation 1210, the host terminal may transmit an invitation signaling message, including communication invitation tag information and a terminal list of terminals (the host terminal, the first client terminal, and the second client terminal), to a third client terminal to be invited).
(b) Receiving connection permission from the first communication device (see figures 12, 14, and 16; paragraphs 143-145); (In operation 1230, the third client terminal may transmit a communication acceptance message indicating communication establishment acceptance to the host terminal in response to the invitation signaling message received from the host terminal).
(c) Establishing a first connection to the first communication device; controlling a communication of a second communication device; and in a case where a certain condition is satisfied, enabling a function of controlling a wireless communication of the second communication device and performing the wireless communication of the second communication device, and autonomously establishing a second connection to the second communication device (see figure 13; paragraphs 150-154); (In operation 1310, the second client terminal may transmit a reentry signaling message, including communication reentry tag information and a terminal list of terminals, to the host terminal and the first client terminal. Herein, the second client terminal, and the host terminal and the first client terminal, which have established communication with the second client terminal, may be included in the terminal list of terminals).
(d) The certain condition is a case in which a signal related to a state of emergency is received from at least one of the first communication device, the second communication device, and another communication device, the processor applies a communication parameter included in the signal related to the state of emergency to the function (see paragraphs 4, 5, and 13).
However, Jung et al does not specifically show that the terminal is connected to a target public land mobile network (PLMN), via the communication device.
In related art, Zhang et al shows that the terminal is connected to a target public land mobile network (PLMN), via the communication device (see paragraphs 54-56); (The UE may obtain a data connection with a first wireless network (e.g., a first PLMN) based on a first subscription (e.g., the SIM 308). At 504, the UE may obtain a tunnel connection with a gateway of a second wireless network (e.g., a second PLMN) through the data connection based on a second subscription (e.g., the SIM 310) associated with the second wireless network. At 506, the UE may communicate with the second wireless network through the tunnel connection using the data connection).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to incorporate the PLMN of Zhang et al into the wireless network of Jung et al in order to provide the ability to access multiple networks (see Zhang et al; paragraphs 4-7, and 54-56).
Consider Claim 3, Jung et al show that the certain condition is a case in which a connection to the first communication device cannot be established (see figure 12; paragraphs 146-148); (In operation 1250, the first client terminal may transmit a communication rejection message indicating communication establishment rejection to the third client terminal in response to the invitation acceptance signaling message received from the third client terminal. In detail, because the first client terminal does not establish communication with the host terminal, the first client terminal may reject communication establishment with the third client terminal).
Consider Claim 5, Jung et al shows that in a case where the certain condition is satisfied and the function is enabled, in response to receiving an indication from the first communication device, the control unit performs disabling of the function and enabling of the function based on the indication from the first communication device (see figure 13; paragraphs 150-154); (In operation 1310, the second client terminal may transmit a reentry signaling message, including communication reentry tag information and a terminal list of terminals, to the host terminal and the first client terminal. Herein, the second client terminal, and the host terminal and the first client terminal, which have established communication with the second client terminal, may be included in the terminal list of terminals).
Consider Claim 9, Jung et al shows that in a case where the certain condition is satisfied and the function is enabled, in response to receiving an indication from the first communication device, the control unit performs disabling of the function and enabling of the function based on the indication from the first communication device (see figure 13; paragraphs 150-154); (In operation 1310, the second client terminal may transmit a reentry signaling message, including communication reentry tag information and a terminal list of terminals, to the host terminal and the first client terminal. Herein, the second client terminal, and the host terminal and the first client terminal, which have established communication with the second client terminal, may be included in the terminal list of terminals).
Consider Claims 11-12 Jung et al shows that in a case where the certain condition is satisfied and the function is enabled, in response to receiving an indication from the first communication device, the processor performs enabling of the function based on the indication from the first communication device. (see figure 13; paragraphs 150-154); (In operation 1310, the second client terminal may transmit a reentry signaling message, including communication reentry tag information and a terminal list of terminals, to the host terminal and the first client terminal. Herein, the second client terminal, and the host terminal and the first client terminal, which have established communication with the second client terminal, may be included in the terminal list of terminals).
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL A FARAGALLA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2624 07/25/2026
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