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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/27/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 05/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot and not persuasive because:
a/ moot because claims 1 and 2 have been amended with new limitations,
b/ not persuasive because Starsinic teaches and discloses the argued limitations and features from claims 1 and 2, as when the Applicant’s arguments that Starsinic fails to teach, disclose or suggest all the features recited in amended independent claims 1 and 2.
Claim 1: (Currently Amended) A User Equipment (UE), comprising:
a controller configured to, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, select an SNPN as an onboarding network that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials, wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, and
a mode for selecting the SNPN, as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode.
Claim 2: (Currently Amended) A communication control method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the communication control method comprising:
selecting, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, an SNPN as an onboarding network, that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials, wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, and
a mode for selecting the SNPN as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode.
The examiner respectfully disagrees because Starsinic teaches the followings:
Claim 1: (Currently Amended) A User Equipment (UE) (Starsinic, the Abstract, Figs. 5 and 9B), comprising:
a controller (Starsinic, Fig. 9B, pp [162]: a processor 118), configured to, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, select an SNPN as an onboarding network that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 1: the UE is placed in onboarding mode. This may be done by turning the UE on, resetting UE, initiating onboarding mode with a button or GUI, etc. The UE may autonomically enter onboarding mode when it is turned on and it has only onboarding credentials; Step 3: the UE sends an RRC Connection Request and Registration Request to the network. Both the RRC Connection Request and Registration Request may include information such as the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, etc. The information in the RRC Connection Request (e.g. the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, onboarding indication, etc.) are used to detect that the UE is connecting for onboarding and is considered during the network AMF Selection; Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server; and Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN), wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server); and
a mode for selecting the SNPN, as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN).
Claim 2: (Currently Amended) A communication control method performed by a User Equipment (UE) (Starsinic, the Abstract), the communication control method comprising:
selecting, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, an SNPN as an onboarding network, that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 1: the UE is placed in onboarding mode. This may be done by turning the UE on, resetting UE, initiating onboarding mode with a button or GUI, etc. The UE may autonomically enter onboarding mode when it is turned on and it has only onboarding credentials; Step 3: the UE sends an RRC Connection Request and Registration Request to the network. Both the RRC Connection Request and Registration Request may include information such as the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, etc. The information in the RRC Connection Request (e.g. the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, onboarding indication, etc.) are used to detect that the UE is connecting for onboarding and is considered during the network AMF Selection; Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server; and Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN): wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server); and
a mode for selecting the SNPN as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN).
As such, the argued features and limitations were written such that they are read upon the reference as explained the above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Starsinic et al. (Publication No. US 2024/0224163).
Regarding claim 1. (Currently Amended) Starsinic teaches a User Equipment (UE) (Starsinic, the Abstract), comprising:
a controller (Starsinic, Fig. 9B, pp [162]: a processor 118), configured to, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, select an SNPN as an onboarding network, that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 1: the UE is placed in onboarding mode. This may be done by turning the UE on, resetting UE, initiating onboarding mode with a button or GUI, etc. The UE may autonomically enter onboarding mode when it is turned on and it has only onboarding credentials; Step 3: the UE sends an RRC Connection Request and Registration Request to the network. Both the RRC Connection Request and Registration Request may include information such as the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, etc. The information in the RRC Connection Request (e.g. the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, onboarding indication, etc.) are used to detect that the UE is connecting for onboarding and is considered during the network AMF Selection; Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server; and Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN.
. wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server); and
a mode for selecting the SNPN, as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN).
Regarding claim 2. (Currently Amended) Starsinic teaches a communication control method performed by a User Equipment (UE) (Starsinic, the Abstract), the communication control method comprising:
selecting, in a case that the UE is operating in a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) access mode, an SNPN as an onboarding network, that provides the UE with SNPN credentials, based on Default UE credentials (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 1: the UE is placed in onboarding mode. This may be done by turning the UE on, resetting UE, initiating onboarding mode with a button or GUI, etc. The UE may autonomically enter onboarding mode when it is turned on and it has only onboarding credentials; Step 3: the UE sends an RRC Connection Request and Registration Request to the network. Both the RRC Connection Request and Registration Request may include information such as the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, etc. The information in the RRC Connection Request (e.g. the UE's PEI, onboarding credential, onboarding indication, etc.) are used to detect that the UE is connecting for onboarding and is considered during the network AMF Selection; Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server; and Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN): wherein:
the SNPN credentials enable the UE to access a desired SNPN, (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 4: the AMF sends a Registration Response to the UE which includes the UE′ SNPN credentials or URSP Rules that relate to the UE's onboarding traffic; Step 5: the UE initiates an application layer procedure in order to download SNPN Credentials from a server. The URSP rules that were downloaded in step 4 may be used to direct the application layer traffic to the server); and
a mode for selecting the SNPN as the onboarding network, includes an automatic SNPN selection mode and a manual SNPN selection mode (Starsinic, Fig. 5, pp [104]-[112]: Step 6, the UE will Enter Automatic Selection Mode or Manual Network Selection Mode and attempt to use the SNPN credentials to connect to the SNPN).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUY C HO whose telephone number is (571)270-1108. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KATHY WANG-HURST can be reached at (571)270-5371. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUY C HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644
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