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 1-15 are objected to because of the following informalities.
Please remove all numbers which are associated with Figures for claimed limitations such as NF (30), UAS (10), NRF(50).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ryu et al. (US 2023/0232204 A1, hereinafter “Ryu”)
Regarding claim 1, Ryu discloses a method by a consumer Network Function (NF) for managing an unmanned aerial system (UAS) (see para. 0292-0293, unmanned aerial system) comprising: transmitting, to a network repository function (NRF), a discovery request, wherein the discovery request includes a request to the NRF to provide to the consumer NF information on at least one producer NF, among a plurality of producer NFs, that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0300, registration request to mobility management with capabilities of one or more services; para. 0135, NRF may support service discovery function that may receive discovery request; see also para. 0328, registration request message to AMF, the UDM determine the subscription of the wireless device based on the capability); receiving, from the NRF, information on the at least one producer NF that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0300, receive the subscription information based on the capability of UE, subscription information indicates whether one or more services are allowed; para. 0134, provide information of the discovered NF instance); and selecting, the at least one producer NF that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0301, activation of the RAN function associated with one or more services based on the subscription information; para. 0135, NSSF may select the network slice serving the UE, may determine the allowed NSSAI, and determine the AMF set to employed to serve the UE by querying the NRF; see also para. 0328-0329).
Regarding claim 2, Ryu discloses wherein the at least one producer NF indicated its support for UAS NF functionality to the NRF (see para. 0134, NRF may support service discovery function).
Regarding claim 3, Ryu discloses further comprising: registering, the at least one producer NF, with the NRF, wherein the NRF stores a NF profile that includes information on each registered producer NF (see para. 0134 stores information of available NF instances; para. 0300, subscription server with UAV capability information).
Regarding claim 4, Ryu discloses wherein the information in the NF profile includes a plurality of addresses of each registered producer NF (see para. 0301, activation of service if allowed).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Ryu discloses wherein the plurality of addresses includes at least one of an Internet Protocol (IP) address, a fully qualified domain name (FQDN), or an endpoint address (see para. 0128, 0291 and 0334).
Regarding claim 6, Ryu discloses further comprising: transmitting, at least one packet to the at least one producer NF that supports UAS functionality (see para. 0311).
Regarding claim 7, Ryu discloses wherein the consumer NF is at least one of: an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), or a combination of the SMF and a packet network data gateway control (PGW-C) (see para. 0221-0240, 0328-0334).
Regarding claims 8 and 13, Ryu discloses wherein the AMF selects the at least one producer NF from the NRF, based on the indication that the at least one producer NF supports UAS NF functionality, during a registration procedure of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a user equipment (UE) (see para. 0134-0135, 0300), wherein the SMF selects the at least one producer NF from the NRF, based on the indication that the at least one producer NF supports UAS NF functionality, during a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment of a UAV or a UE (see para. 0221-0240), and wherein the combination of the SMF and PGW-C selects the at least one producer NF from the NRF, based on the indication that the at least one producer NF supports UAS NF functionality, during a packet data network (PDN) connection of a UAV or a UE (see para. 0220-0241).
.
Regarding claim 9, Ryu discloses a system (see Figure 24), comprising: a plurality of producer Network Functions (NFs), wherein at least one producer NF, among the plurality of producer NFs, supports unmanned aerial system (UAS) NF functionality (see para. 0292-0294, UAS); a network repository function (NRF) (see para. 0286, NRF), wherein at least one producer NF, among the plurality of producer NFs, is registered within the NRF, and wherein the NRF stores a NF profile
having information on each registered producer NF (See para. 0286, NRF with service discovery functionality to determine how to access existing network functions); and
a consumer NF, wherein the consumer NF is configured to
perform at least one of the following: transmit a discovery request to the NRF (see para. 0131, receive discovery request), wherein the discovery request includes a request to the NRF to provide to the consumer NF information on the at least one producer NF that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0300, registration request to mobility management with capabilities of one or more services; para. 0135, NRF may support service discovery function that may receive discovery request; see also para. 0328, registration request message to AMF, the UDM determine the subscription of the wireless device based on the capability);
receive, from the NRF, information on the least one producer NF
that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0300, receive the subscription information based on the capability of UE, subscription information indicates whether one or more services are allowed; para. 0134, provide information of the discovered NF instance);
select the at least one producer NF that supports UAS NF functionality (see para. 0310); or
transmit at least one data packet to the at least one producer NF that supports UAS functionality (see para. 0301, activation of the RAN function associated with one or more services based on the subscription information; para. 0135, NSSF may select the network slice serving the UE, may determine the allowed NSSAI, and determine the AMF set to employed to serve the UE by querying the NRF; see also para. 0328-0329).
Regarding claim 10, Ryu discloses further comprising at least one of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or a user equipment (UE), wherein the UAV or the UE are configured to perform at least one of the following: transmit a registration request to the consumer NF (see para. 0255-0257, UE sending a NAS message to AMF); transmit a protocol data unit (PDU) session to the consumer NF; or transmit a packet data network (PDN) connection to the consumer NF (see para. 0255-0257, PDU session establishment) .
Regarding claim 11, Ryu discloses wherein the at least one producer NF, among the plurality of producer NFs, indicated its support for UAS NF functionality to the NRF (see para. 0310).
Regarding claim 12, Ryu discloses wherein the consumer NF includes
at least one of the following: an access and mobility management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), or a combination of the SMF and a packet network data gateway control (PGW-C) (see Figure 24).
Regarding claim 14, Ryu discloses wherein the information in the NF profile includes a plurality of addresses of the at least one producer NF (see para. 0301, activation of service if allowed).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD S ANWAR whose telephone number is (571)270-5641. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6-5 EST.
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MOHAMMAD S. ANWAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2463
/MOHAMMAD S ANWAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463