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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to newly amended independent claims 1 and 25 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection based on a new reference Zhu (US 2021/0037455 A1) and new citations from 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 ("3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Study on enhancement of network slicing; Phase 2 (Release 17)", 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 (2020-11), pub. date 2020-11).
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 1-5, 7-8-, 10, 12-13, and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 ("3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Study on enhancement of network slicing; Phase 2 (Release 17)", 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 (2020-11), pub. date 2020-11) in view of Zhu (US 2021/0037455 A1).
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Regarding claim 1, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 teaches a method performed by a wireless device for inhomogeneous slice support (pg. 195, sect. 6.45.3.3, “If the AMF provides in step 1 the Allowed NSSAI, the NG-RAN determines whether the frequencies supported for each S-NSSAI in the Target NSSAI are compatible with the UE radio capabilities (~inhomogeneous slice support is having slices tailored to different capabilities (~such as different frequencies)) and RAN configuration. The NG-RAN returns to the AMF a Supported NSSAI containing the combination(s) S-NSSAIs in the UE NSSAI that are compatible with the UE radio capabilities and that can therefore be simultaneously used by UE, and/or provides an indication to the AMF of which S-NSSAIs have frequency band incompatibilities with respect to the UE capabilities”), the method comprising:
signaling, to a Core Network, CN, node, an indication that the wireless device supports non-uniform slice availability within a Registration Area (pg. 190, par. 1, “UE can use simultaneously, and/or provides an indication (~signaling) to the AMF of which S-NSSAIs have frequency band incompatibilities with respect to the UE capabilities (~non-uniform slice availability) … the AMF modifies the Allowed NSSAI based on the information received from the NG-RAN before providing it to the UE”; pg. 218, par. 3, “UE is allowed to register to multiple network slices which are accessible on different preferred frequency band(s) within the Registration Area”; pg. 168, sect. 6.39.3.1, “3. The AMF sends a Registration Accept message to the UE as per current procedure and includes the Allowed NSSAI, Registration Area and Rejected NSSAI with cause value”); and
receiving information on how the wireless device may act based on the indicated slice support (pg. 190, par. 1, “the AMF modifies the Allowed NSSAI based on the information received from the NG-RAN before providing it to the UE”).
3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 does not explicitly teach that the information indicates which slices in an Allowed NSSAI are not uniformly available within the Registration Area.
However, Zhu teaches information indicating which slices in an Allowed NSSAI are not uniformly available within a Registration Area ([0186-0187], “At step 1330, the AMF transmits an initial UE context setup request message to the BS 1304a. The initial UE context setup request message may include allowed NSSAI, rejected NSSAI, and a rejection cause. The allowed NSSAI may indicate the slice 1. The rejected NSSAI may indicate the slice S2 (~rejected NSSAI was previously an allowed NSSAI). The rejection cause may indicate a reason for rejecting the slice S2. For example, the rejection cause may indicate that the current PLMN does not support the requested slice S2. Alternatively, the rejection cause may indicate that the current registration area (e.g., the registered tracking area) does not support the requested slice S2. At step 1335, the AMF transmits a NAS registration accept message to the UE 1302 via the BS 1304a. The NAS registration accept message may include allowed NSSAI indicating the slice S1 and rejected NSSAI indicating the slice S2”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Zhu with the teaching of 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in order to optimize signaling overhead and prevent unnecessary registration failures as a device moves across different tracking areas.
Regarding claim 2, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving, from one or more cells, an indication of which slices are supported (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, 6.45.3.1, “3. The AMF determines the UE's current TA has some S-NSSAIs not available on all cells, which is indicated by NG-RAN during NG Setup procedure. The AMF sends a UE Capability Match Request message to the NG-RAN as defined in the clause 4.2.8a of the TS 23.502 [6] and provides the Target NSSAI to NG-RAN. The Target NSSAI is the Allowed NSSAI determined so far by the AMF according to existing mechanisms and based on the Requested NSSAI, Subscribed NSSAI and the availability of network slices by AMF”).
Regarding claim 3, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 2 further comprising:
sending a Radio Resource Control, RRC, Setup request based on the received indication of which slices are supported (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0
pg. 193, sect. 6.45.3.2, par. 5, “The Access Stratum Connection Establishment NSSAI Inclusion Mode, as specified in TS 23.501 [2] clause 5.15.9, is included to instruct the UE on what NSSAI, if any, to include in the Access Stratum connection establishment (~the Access Stratum (AS) connection establishment begins with UE sending an RRCSetupRequest message to the base station (gNB). This message is the initial step to establish the signaling radio bearer (SRB1) and transition from RRC_IDLE to RRC_CONNECTED mode). The AMF can set the value to modes of operation a,b,c defined in TS 23.501 [2] clause 5.15.9 in the 3GPP Access only if the Inclusion of NSSAI in RRC Connection Establishment Allowed indicates that it is allowed to do so”).
Regarding claim 4, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 2 further comprising:
determining a cell to connect to by omitting cells that do not support a desired slice (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 97, sect. 6.18.2, “When new UE is initially registered in the network slice (i.e. the S-NSSAI is added into the Allowed NSSAI) the AMF adds the number of UE. When the UE is deregistered from the network slice (i.e. the UE is deregistered from network or the S-NSSAI is removed from the Allowed NSSAI), or the UE context is transferred to another AMF, the AMF reduce the number of UE in the network slice”, wherein cells that do not support a desired slice is omitted and a cell to connected to is determined based on this omission).
Regarding claim 5, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein signaling the indication is upon performing Non-Access Stratum, NAS, registration (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 135, sect. 6.26.3.1, “UE provides an indication of its capability to sort out the S-NSSAIs which are included in the Request S-NSSAIs in priority order in Registration Request (~signaling the indication) towards the 5GC in N2/NAS (~Non-Access Stratum) message”).
Regarding claim 7, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the AS signaling comprises signaling via RRC signaling (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 193, sect. 6.45.3.2, par. 4, “AMF can set the value to modes of operation a,b,c defined in TS 23.501 [2] clause 5.15.9 in the 3GPP Access only if the Inclusion of NSSAI in RRC Connection Establishment Allowed indicates that it is allowed to do so”; pg. 193, sect. 6.45.3.2, par. 9, “The Extended Connected Time value indicates the minimum time the RAN should keep the UE in RRC-CONNECTED state regardless of inactivity”; pg. 194, sect. 6.45.3.3, “3. The UE provides the NG-RAN with its UE radio capabilities sending the RRC UE Capability Information”).
Regarding claim 8, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the common RAN-CN interface comprises a Next Generation, NG, interface (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1, Fig. 6.45.3.1-1, “NG-RAN”; “3. AMF determines the UE's current TA has some S-NSSAIs not available on all cells, which is indicated by NG-RAN during NG (~Next Generation) Setup procedure. The AMF (~CN) sends a UE Capability Match Request message to the NG-RAN as defined in the clause 4.2.8a of the TS 23.502 [6] and provides the Target NSSAI to NG-RAN”).
Regarding claim 10, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 further comprising:
requesting access to the slices in Allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, NSSAI, whenever the slices are available at the RAN or cell serving the wireless device (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190-191, sect. 6.45.3.1, “1. The UE sends the Registration Request to the AMF including the Requested NSSAI … 8. The AMF sends Registration Accept message to UE including Registration Area, Allowed NSSAI and optional Rejected NSSAI”).
Regarding claim 12, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein a network slice is identified by a Single - NSSAI, S-NSSAI (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1, “3. The AMF determines the UE's current TA has some S-NSSAIs”).
Regarding claim 13, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the CN node comprises an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1,“1. The UE sends the Registration Request to the AMF”).
Regarding claim 25, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 teaches a wireless device for inhomogeneous slice support (pg. 195, sect. 6.45.3.3, “If the AMF provides in step 1 the Allowed NSSAI, the NG-RAN determines whether the frequencies supported for each S-NSSAI in the Target NSSAI are compatible with the UE radio capabilities (~inhomogeneous slice support is having slices tailored to different capabilities (~such as different frequencies)) and RAN configuration. The NG-RAN returns to the AMF a Supported NSSAI containing the combination(s) S-NSSAIs in the UE NSSAI that are compatible with the UE radio capabilities and that can therefore be simultaneously used by UE, and/or provides an indication to the AMF of which S-NSSAIs have frequency band incompatibilities with respect to the UE capabilities”),
the wireless device comprising one or more processors and memory configured to cause the wireless device to (pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1, “UE” (~wireless device) comprises one or more processors and memory configured to cause the “UE” (~wireless device) to):
signal, to a Core Network, CN, node, an indication that the wireless device supports non-uniform slice availability within a Registration Area (pg. 190, par. 1, “UE can use simultaneously, and/or provides an indication (~signaling) to the AMF of which S-NSSAIs have frequency band incompatibilities with respect to the UE capabilities (~non-uniform slice availability) … the AMF modifies the Allowed NSSAI based on the information received from the NG-RAN before providing it to the UE”; pg. 218, par. 3, “UE is allowed to register to multiple network slices which are accessible on different preferred frequency band(s) within the Registration Area”; pg. 168, sect. 6.39.3.1, “3. The AMF sends a Registration Accept message to the UE as per current procedure and includes the Allowed NSSAI, Registration Area and Rejected NSSAI with cause value”); and
receive an information on how the wireless device may act based on the indicated slice support (pg. 192, sect. 6.45.3.2, “The AMF sends a Registration Accept message (~contains information on how the wireless device may act based on the indicated slice support) to the UE indicating that the Registration Request has been accepted”).
3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 does not explicitly teach that the information indicates which slices in an Allowed NSSAI are not uniformly available within the Registration Area.
However, Zhu teaches information indicating which slices in an Allowed NSSAI are not uniformly available within a Registration Area ([0186-0187], “At step 1330, the AMF transmits an initial UE context setup request message to the BS 1304a. The initial UE context setup request message may include allowed NSSAI, rejected NSSAI, and a rejection cause. The allowed NSSAI may indicate the slice 1. The rejected NSSAI may indicate the slice S2 (~rejected NSSAI was previously an allowed NSSAI). The rejection cause may indicate a reason for rejecting the slice S2. For example, the rejection cause may indicate that the current PLMN does not support the requested slice S2. Alternatively, the rejection cause may indicate that the current registration area (e.g., the registered tracking area) does not support the requested slice S2. At step 1335, the AMF transmits a NAS registration accept message to the UE 1302 via the BS 1304a. The NAS registration accept message may include allowed NSSAI indicating the slice S1 and rejected NSSAI indicating the slice S2”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Zhu with the teaching of 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in order to optimize signaling overhead and prevent unnecessary registration failures as a device moves across different tracking areas.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu, and further in view of Buchmayer (US 2011/0177814 A1).
Regarding claim 6, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein signaling the indication is performed (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 191, sect. 6.45.3.2, “If the UE has indicated its support for Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization procedure in the UE MM Core Network Capability (~5G Mobility Management Core Network Capability - contains indication that the wireless device supports non-uniform slice availability) in the Registration Request”; UE indicates its support for non-uniform slice availability (or restricted network slice location availability) to the AMF (~core network) via UE 5GMM Core Network Capability in the Registration Request message, allowing the AMF to manage slice availability based on the UE's location) using one or more of:
as part of NAS signaling from the wireless device to the CN node, and transparently to a Radio Access Network, RAN (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 135, sect. 6.26.3.1, “UE provides an indication of its capability to sort out the S-NSSAIs which are included in the Request S-NSSAIs in priority order in Registration Request towards the 5GC in N2/NAS message”; pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1, Fig. 6.45.3.1-1, signaling “1. Registration Request” transparently to a NG-RAN (~Radio Access Network, RAN)); and
signaling, from wireless device to the RAN, and then forwarded from RAN to the CN node via a common RAN-CN interface (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, sect. 6.45.3.1, Fig. 6.45.3.1-1 shows signaling, from wireless device (~UE) to the RAN (~NG-RAN), and then forwarded from RAN (~NG-RAN) to the CN node (~AMF) via a common RAN-CN interface).
The combination does not explicitly teach that the signaling is as part of Access Stratum, AS.
However, Buchmayer teaches a signaling as part of Access Stratum, AS ([0036], “terminal 20 to the HNB 10 may include an indication as to whether the terminal 20 supports CSGs. For example, such signaling may include an Access stratum release indicator, or a UE capabilities indicator”; [0013], “includes the Access stratum or UE capabilities indicator in registration/connection signaling sent”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Buchmayer with the teaching of 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 as modified by Zhu in order to manage a radio interface by establishing and maintaining a connection between a UE and a RAN as well as enabling radio resource control (RRC), cell handovers, and secure data transmission to ensure efficient and reliable communications over an air interface.
Claims 9 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu, and further in view of Griot (US 2020/0077280 A1).
Regarding claim 9, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu teaches the method of claim 1 wherein the indication comprises one or more of:
a capability of the wireless device to support information on slices or a group of slices served by a specific cell or radio coverage layer or frequency layer (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 190, 6.45.3.1, “1. The UE sends the Registration Request to the AMF including the Requested NSSAI”); and
a capability of the wireless device to support non uniform slice availability by not requesting access to the slices or services on the slice in those areas within the Registration Area, RA, where the slice is not available (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 135, sect. 6.26.3.1 “UE provides an indication of its capability to sort out the S-NSSAIs which are included in the Request S-NSSAIs in priority order in Registration Request towards the 5GC in N2/NAS message”; pg. 135, sect. 6.26.3.1 “UE provides an indication of its capability to sort out the S-NSSAIs which are included in the Request S-NSSAIs in priority order in Registration Request towards the 5GC in N2/NAS message”; pg. 144, sect. 6.29.1 “- The UE can establish and maintain PDU Session(s) with any slice(s) that are in its Allowed NSSAI. - The Allowed NSSAI indicates the S-NSSAIs values the UE can use in the Serving PLMN for the current Registration Area”; pg. 145, sect. 6.30.1, “If the UE is about to register to one or more network slices identified by S-NSSAIs which are accessible on some preferred frequency band(s), then the UE in Idle state considers the list of preferred band(s) of the S-NSSAI for cell selection when triggering the Registration request message”; access to the slices or services on the slice in those areas within the Registration Area, RA, where the slice is not available is not requested).
The combination does not explicitly teach that the information is broadcast information.
However, Griot teaches broadcast information ([0081], “each cell may include system information and/or broadcast information regarding available slices”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Griot with the teaching of 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 as modified by Zhu in order to efficiently distribute data to a large number of users simultaneously using a single transmission, greatly reducing network load compared to a unicast.
Regarding claim 11, 3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 in view of Zhu, and further in view of Griot teaches the method of claim 9 wherein the area where the slice is not available comprises a single cell (3GPP TR 23.700-40 V1.2.0 pg. 169, sect. 6.39.3.1, “5. If the requested S-NSSAI is one of the Rejected NSSAI with cause value indicating that it is not available in the current Registration Area, and the UE realizes that there is other cells within the same PLMN outside the Registration Area in the current location, then the UE perform cell reselection to select a new cell (~single cell)”, wherein the area where the slice not available comprises a single cell).
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 ALEXANDER J. YI whose telephone number is (571)270-7696. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday: 8:00AM to 5PM EST.
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/ALEXANDER J YI/Examiner, Art Unit 2643
/JINSONG HU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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