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 .
This Office Action is in response to communications filed on 01/29/2024.
Claim 1-4 are pending and rejected.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/29/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
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, 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prabhakar et al (US 20210211975 A1) (hereinafter “Prabhakar”) in view of Tamura et al (US 20230337122 A1) (hereinafter “Tamura”).
Regarding claim 1, Prabhakar discloses a User Equipment (UE) comprising:
transmission and reception circuitry (see para. [0148] discloses UE includes one or more antennas for communication using one or more RAT standards, share one or more parts of a receive chain and transmit chain between standards, or may include separate transmit and receive chain for each wireless communication protocol);
storage circuitry (see Fig. 3 (306-Memory), para. [0150] UE may include memory 306, read only memory 350, flash memory 310; UE may include various types of memory); and
controlling circuitry (see Fig. 3 (330), para. [0152] discloses radio circuitry may include controllers dedicated to controlling communications from various RATs):
wherein the transmission and reception circuitry is configured to transmit a registration request message including information indicating that the UE supports an equivalent Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) in a registration procedure (see Fig. 10 (1006), para. [0188]; [0203] discloses in response to NAS registration request (from UE) the list of eSNPN (equivalent SNPN) may be transmitted to the UE; flow diagram procedure for updating a UE with eSNPN as part of the registration process, UE may send registration request), and
Prabhakar does not clearly disclose the controlling circuitry is configured to delete an equivalent SNPN list stored in the storage circuitry, in a case that a registration accept message that does not contain an equivalent SNPN list has been received in the registration procedure.
However, Tamura teaches the controlling circuitry is configured to delete an equivalent SNPN list stored in the storage circuitry, in a case that a registration accept message that does not contain an equivalent SNPN list has been received in the registration procedure (see Fig. 8 (UE modules, processor), para. [0057] discloses AMF may send the configured NSSAI IE to the UE to configure or update NSSAI storage or other configuration, this message may be a Registration Accept message; in response the UE updates the NSSAI Storage stored in a memory of the UE, specifically, the UE deletes or removes the S-NSSAIs stored in the configured NSSAI IE).
Prabhakar and Tamura are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the field of wireless communication methods, apparatus and network slice management.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Prabhakar to include the deletion of SNPN list as described by Tamura.
The motivation to combine both references would come from improving access to NPN.
Regarding claim 4, Prabhakar discloses a communication control method performed by a User Equipment (UE), the communication control method comprising:
transmitting a registration request message including information indicating that the UE supports an equivalent Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN) in a registration procedure (see Fig. 10 (1006), para. [0188]; [0203] discloses in response to NAS registration request (from UE) the list of eSNPN (equivalent SNPN) may be transmitted to the UE; flow diagram procedure for updating a UE with eSNPN as part of the registration process, UE may send registration request); and deleting an equivalent SNPN list stored in the UE, in a case that a registration accept message that does not contain an equivalent SNPN list has been received in the registration procedure.
Prabhakar does not clearly disclose deleting an equivalent SNPN list stored in the UE, in a case that a registration accept message that does not contain an equivalent SNPN list has been received in the registration procedure.
However, Tamura teaches deleting an equivalent SNPN list stored in the UE, in a case that a registration accept message that does not contain an equivalent SNPN list has been received in the registration procedure (see Fig. 8 (UE modules, processor), para. [0057] discloses AMF may send the configured NSSAI IE to the UE to configure or update NSSAI storage or other configuration, this message may be a Registration Accept message; in response the UE updates the NSSAI Storage stored in a memory of the UE, specifically, the UE deletes or removes the S-NSSAIs stored in the configured NSSAI IE).
Prabhakar and Tamura are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the field of wireless communication methods, apparatus and network slice management.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Prabhakar to include the deletion of SNPN list as described by Tamura.
The motivation to combine both references would come from improving access to NPN.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prabhakar et al (US 20210211975 A100 (hereinafter “Prabhakar”) in view of Tamura et al (US 20230337122 A1) (hereinafter “Tamura”) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Chun et al (US 20200245235 A1) (hereinafter “Chun”).
Regarding claim 2, Prabhakar discloses a UE (see para. [0148] discloses UE includes one or more antennas for communication using one or more RAT standards, share one or more parts of a receive chain and transmit chain between standards, or may include separate transmit and receive chain for each wireless communication protocol).
Prabhakar fails to disclose a UE wherein in a case that the UE is switched off, the controlling circuitry is configured to maintain the equivalent SNPN list stored in the storage circuitry.
However, Chun discloses wherein in a case that the UE is switched off, the controlling circuitry is configured to maintain the equivalent SNPN list stored in the storage circuitry (see Fig. 12 (S1200), para. [0570]- [0572]; [0014] discloses the UE powered on starts the NPN selection process checking NPN related list and selecting item for registration; UE method selecting NPN, processor selecting list stored in memory or USIM, the list including NPN identifier).
Prabhakar and Chun are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the field of wireless communication methods, apparatus and NPN.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Prabhakar to include the storage of SNPN list as described by Chen.
The motivation to combine both references would come from improving access to NPN.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Prabhakar et al (US 20210211975 A100 (hereinafter “Prabhakar”) in view Kim et al (US 20230397092 A1) (hereinafter “Kim”).
Regarding claim 3, Prabhakar discloses a User Equipment (UE) comprising: transmission and reception circuitry (see para. [0148] discloses UE includes one or more antennas for communication using one or more RAT standards, share one or more parts of a receive chain and transmit chain between standards, or may include separate transmit and receive chain for each wireless communication protocol); storage circuitry (see Fig. 3 (306-Memory), para. [0150] UE may include memory 306, read only memory 350, flash memory 310; UE may include various types of memory); and controlling circuitry (see Fig. 3 (330), para. [0152] discloses radio circuitry may include controllers dedicated to controlling communications from various RATs),
Prabhakar fails to disclose wherein in a case that roaming is not performed, and in a case that the transmission and reception circuitry receives new allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) for a current Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), the controlling circuitry is configured to delete one or more Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAIs) included in a new allowed NSSAI for the current SNPN and/or an equivalent SNPN of the current SNPN from a pending NSSAI stored in the storage circuitry.
However, Kim teaches wherein in a case that roaming is not performed, and in a case that the transmission and reception circuitry receives new allowed Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) for a current Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), the controlling circuitry is configured to delete one or more Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAIs) included in a new allowed NSSAI for the current SNPN and/or an equivalent SNPN of the current SNPN from a pending NSSAI stored in the storage circuitry (see Fig. 12 (S1240), para. [0008]; [0345] discloses the UE configuration update command message includes slice selection assistance information, the UE adds the S-NSSSAI to a rejected NSSAI, starts the timer, and deletes the S-NSSSAI included in the rejected NSSAI; the method comprises, after the timer expires, deleting the S-NSSAI included in the NSSAI).
Prabhakar and Kim are considered analogous to the claimed invention because both are in the field of wireless communication methods, apparatus and network slice management.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Prabhakar to include the deletion of S-NSSAIs as described by Kim.
The motivation to combine both references would come from improving network slice operation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Won (US 20210258857 A1) discloses “Methods, Apparatuses, and Computer Program products for Managing a Device Network Capabilities in Private Networks”.
Sirotkin et al (US 20200329422 A1) discloses “Non-Public Network Support by NG Radio Access Network (NG-RAN)”.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS GUILLERMO LEMA LEMOS whose telephone number is (571)-272-5710. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nishant Divecha, can be reached at 571-270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS GUILLERMO LEMA LEMOS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419