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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6-7, 9-10, 14-15 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (WO 2021/234639 A1).
In regards to claims 1 and 14, Wang teaches, a method for operating a network exposure function (NEF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from an application function (AF), a first message for a group of user equipments (UEs) identified by an external group identifier (ID) (see figure 5 and step 510, see page 22, lines 30-33; An AF 504 provides one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. More specifically, the AF 504 sends a parameter provision create/update/delete (i.e., create, update, or delete) request to the NEF 300, where this request includes one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. The AF 504 is also referred to herein as a TSC AF. Further, the AF 504 may be external to the 5GC; see figure 6, step 604; see page 24, lines 13-24; An AF 504 provides one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. More specifically, the AF 504 sends a TSC service provision create/update/delete request to the NEF 300, where this request includes one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. The AF 504 is also referred to herein as a TSC AF. Further, the AF 504 may be external to the 5GC. Note that the name "Nnef_TSC_ServiceProvision" request is used herein as a placeholder, other names may be given to this request, e.g., in the 3GPP specifications. Thus, the term "Nnef_TSC_ServiceProvision" or the like, as used herein, is intended encompass a request of any name that is a new type of request used to request creation, updating, or deletion of one or more TSC member groups information parameters and/or one or more TSC group parameters ), the first message including the external group ID (see paragraph 86; dynamic management of a TSC service includes management of TSC group subscription data (e.g., serving S- NSSAI, connected DNN, PDU session type, VLAN ID(s), QoS requirement s), and/or time synchronization capabilities) and/or UE membership information (e.g., TSC member group identifiers and/or membership identified by, e.g., GPSI)); transmitting, to a unified data management (UDM), a second message for requesting service authorization for group related data of the group of UEs (see figure 5, step 512; see column 23, lines 4-10; If the AF 504 is authorized by the NEF 300 to provision the parameters, the NEF 300 requests to create, update and store, or delete the provisioned parameters as part of the subscriber data. More specifically, the NEF 300 sends a parameter provision create/update/delete request to the UDM 206, where this request includes the parameters to be created or updated; see figure 6, step 606; see page 24, lines 25-31; If the AF 504 is authorized by the NEF 300 to provision the parameters, the NEF 300 requests to create, update and store, or delete the provisioned parameters as part of the subscriber data. More specifically, the NEF 300 sends a TSC service provision create/update/delete request to the UDM 206, where this request includes the parameters to be created or updated); receiving, from the UDM, a third message as a response to the second message (see figure 5; step 518 and step 612 in figure 6, a Provision response is transmitted from UDM); receiving, from the UDM, information for a member change in the group of the UEs identified by the external group ID (see page 23; lines 11-16; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504. This validates if the updates are coming from valid/authorized TSC member group; see page 25, lines 1-3; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504; as can be seen from the figures, the UDM subsequently transmit the update): and transmitting, to the AF, a fourth message corresponding to the first message (see figure 5, step 520; see page 23, line 22; The NEF 300 responds to the request of step 510; see step 614 in figure 6; see page 25, line 9; The NEF 300 responds to the request of step 604).
In regards to claims 2 and 15, Wang teaches, mapping the external group ID into an internal group ID used inside a network ((see paragraph 86; dynamic management of a TSC service includes management of TSC group subscription data (e.g., serving S- NSSAI, connected DNN, PDU session type, VLAN ID(s), QoS requirement s), and/or time synchronization capabilities) and/or UE membership information (e.g., TSC member group identifiers and/or membership identified by, e.g., GPSI))).
In regards to claim 6, Wang teaches, receiving, from the UDM, information for a member change in the group (see page 23; lines 11-16; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504. This validates if the updates are coming from valid/authorized TSC member group; see page 25, lines 1-3; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504; as can be seen from the figures, the UDM subsequently transmit the update).
In regards to claim 7, Wang teaches, wherein the first message is related to group provisioning or group monitoring ((see figure 5 and step 510, see page 22, lines 30-33; An AF 504 provides one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. More specifically, the AF 504 sends a parameter provision create/update/delete (i.e., create, update, or delete) request to the NEF 300, where this request includes one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated).
In regards to claims 9 and 19, Wang teaches, a method for operating an application function (AF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: transmitting, to a network exposure function (NEF), a first message for a group of user equipments (UEs) identified by an external group identifier (ID) (see figure 5 and step 510, see page 22, lines 30-33; An AF 504 provides one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. More specifically, the AF 504 sends a parameter provision create/update/delete (i.e., create, update, or delete) request to the NEF 300, where this request includes one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. The AF 504 is also referred to herein as a TSC AF. Further, the AF 504 may be external to the 5GC; see figure 6, step 604; see page 24, lines 13-24; An AF 504 provides one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. More specifically, the AF 504 sends a TSC service provision create/update/delete request to the NEF 300, where this request includes one or more TSC member groups information and TSC group parameter(s) to be created or updated. The AF 504 is also referred to herein as a TSC AF. Further, the AF 504 may be external to the 5GC. Note that the name "Nnef_TSC_ServiceProvision" request is used herein as a placeholder, other names may be given to this request, e.g., in the 3GPP specifications. Thus, the term "Nnef_TSC_ServiceProvision" or the like, as used herein, is intended encompass a request of any name that is a new type of request used to request creation, updating, or deletion of one or more TSC member groups information parameters and/or one or more TSC group parameters ), the first message including the external group ID (see paragraph 86; dynamic management of a TSC service includes management of TSC group subscription data (e.g., serving S- NSSAI, connected DNN, PDU session type, VLAN ID(s), QoS requirement s), and/or time synchronization capabilities) and/or UE membership information (e.g., TSC member group identifiers and/or membership identified by, e.g., GPSI)); and receiving from the NEF, a second message corresponding to the first message in case that information for a member change in the group of the UEs is received by the NEF (see figure 5, step 520; see page 23, line 22; The NEF 300 responds to the request of step 510; see step 614 in figure 6; see page 25, line 9; The NEF 300 responds to the request of step 604; see page 23; lines 11-16; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504. This validates if the updates are coming from valid/authorized TSC member group; see page 25, lines 1-3; The UDM 206 may read from the UDR 502 corresponding subscription information in order to validate required data updates and authorize these changes for this subscriber or member group for the corresponding AF 504; as can be seen from the figures, the UDM subsequently transmit the update)).
In regards to claims 10 and 20, Wang teaches wherein the external group ID is mapped into an internal group ID used inside a network (((see paragraph 86; dynamic management of a TSC service includes management of TSC group subscription data (e.g., serving S- NSSAI, connected DNN, PDU session type, VLAN ID(s), QoS requirement s), and/or time synchronization capabilities) and/or UE membership information (e.g., TSC member group identifiers and/or membership identified by, e.g., GPSI))).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 8, 11-13 and 16-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 12/25/2025 with respect to Liao reference have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
It also appears that the application amended claim 9 to correspond to the method claim of claim 19. The applicant argues that the reasons for allowance for claims 9 and 19 are the same as those for claim 1. Yet claim 1 has been amended more comprehensively.
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.
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/JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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