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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 31 July 2026 has been entered.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claims 1, 6, 8, 13, 15, and 20 are amended.
Response to Arguments
35 USC § 112
The 35 USC § 112 rejection of claims 1-20 are withdrawn in view of the Remarks and Amendments filed on 31 July 2026.
35 USC § 103
Regarding the cited prior art of record, Applicant argues the combination of NPL-Zhu does not teach the limitations, “First, NPL's determination of a DNAI does not disclose "selecting a first edge application server address among the at least two edge application server addresses as an offloading edge application server address". Second, Zhu does not disclose "generating an offloading rule for an intermediate user plane function based on the offloading edge application server address". Third, NPL does not disclose "establishing an offloading path between the intermediate user plane function and the edge anchor user plane function corresponding to the target data network access identifier based on the offloading rule". Examiner finds the argument persuasive and a new ground of rejection is presented herewith.
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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over “3rd Generation Partnership Project: Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects: 5G System Enhancements for Edge Computing, Stage 2-Release 17” dated June 2021, hereinafter NPL, in view of Fu et al (US 2023/0403611).
Regarding claim 1, NPL teaches a method for managing edge application server addresses, the method being executed by at least one processor of a session management function, the method comprising:
receiving a domain name system message report transmitted by an edge application server discovery function, the domain name system message report comprising at least two edge application server addresses (NPL p. 17, paragraph before NOTE 6. The EASDF sends the DNS response message to the SMF. p. 19, Figure 6.2.3.2.2-1 Step. 14. The DNS message reporting includes multiple EAS IP addresses);
selecting a target data network access identifier (NPL p. 19-20 Figure 6.2.3.2.2-1 Step 16. the SMF determines the DNAI associated with the EAS IDs, the new UPF and the associated traffic rules based on UPF selection criteria, and performance analytics).
NPL teaches the above but NPL does not explicitly teach selecting a first edge application server address among the at least two edge application server addresses as an offloading edge application server address, the first edge application server address having a relationship with the target data network access identifier; generating an offloading rule for an intermediate user plane function based on the offloading edge application server address; and establishing an offloading path between the intermediate user plane function and the edge anchor user plane function corresponding to the target data network access identifier based on the offloading rule. However, in a similar field of endeavor, Fu teaches selecting a first edge application server address among the at least two edge application server addresses as an offloading edge application server address, the first edge application server address having a relationship with the target data network access identifier (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description provides for EAS1 and EAS2); generating an offloading rule for an intermediate user plane function based on the offloading edge application server address (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description provides for configuring a traffic offloading rule); and establishing an offloading path between the intermediate user plane function and the edge anchor user plane function corresponding to the target data network access identifier based on the offloading rule (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description provides for path to UPF from EAS).
One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have recognized the ability to utilize the teachings of Fu for generating an offloading rule. The teachings of Fu, when implemented in the NPL system, will allow one of ordinary skill in the art to a mobile edge platform and a core network device, so that data sent by a UE can be directly sent to a local network through a deployed mobile edge server and by means of a data offloading rule, and the data does not need to be forwarded through a core network, thereby providing service experience of rapid access, a high-bandwidth and low time delay to the UE. Therefore, the examiner concludes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s invention to arrive at the above-claimed invention.
Regarding claim 2, the method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises: acquiring a target edge application server address from among the at least two edge application server addresses (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description); and selecting a data network access identifier having a relationship with the target edge application server address as the target data network access identifier (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description).
Regarding claim 3, the method according to claim 1, NPL teaches querying a payload condition of the edge anchor user plane function respectively corresponding to the one or more data network access identifiers (NPL Section 6.2.3.3 discloses reselecting an EAS due to UE mobility and local breakout or load considerations); and determining the target data network access identifier from the one or more data network access identifiers according to the payload condition (NPL Section 6.2.3.3 discloses reselecting an EAS due to UE mobility and local breakout or load considerations). NPL does not explicitly teach wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises: acquiring one or more data network access identifiers respectively having a relationship with the at least two edge application server addresses. However, in a similar field of endeavor, Fu teaches wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises acquiring one or more data network access identifiers respectively having a relationship with the at least two edge application server addresses (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description). Motivation provided with reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 4, the method according to claim 1, NPL teaches acquiring a predicted average payload condition of the edge anchor user plane function respectively corresponding to the one or more data network access identifiers within a target time period (NPL Section 6.2.3.3 discloses reselecting an EAS due to UE mobility and local breakout or load considerations); and determining the target data network access identifier from the one or more data network access identifiers based on the predicted average payload condition (NPL Section 6.2.3.3 discloses reselecting an EAS due to UE mobility and local breakout or load considerations). NPL does not explicitly teach, wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises: acquiring one or more data network access identifiers respectively having a relationship with the at least two edge application server addresses. However, in a similar field of endeavor, Fu teaches wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises: acquiring one or more data network access identifiers respectively having a relationship with the at least two edge application server addresses (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description). Motivation provided with reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, the method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting the target data network access identifier comprises: acquiring one or more data network access identifiers respectively having a relationship with the at least two edge application server addresses (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description); and determining the target data network access identifier from the one or more data network access identifiers based on a polling mechanism (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description; claim 7). Motivation provided with reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, the method according to claim 1, further comprising: delivering the offloading rule to the intermediate user plane function, the intermediate user plane function configured to forward a service access request from user equipment for accessing the offloading edge application server address to the edge anchor user plane function based on the offloading rule and the offloading path, the edge anchor user plane function being configured to forward the service access request to an edge application server corresponding to the offloading edge application server address (Fu fig.6 and corresponding description). Motivation provided with reference to claim 1.
Regarding claim 7, the method according to claim 1, further comprising: transmitting the offloading edge application server address to the edge application server discovery function, the edge application server discovery function configured to transmit the offloading edge application server address to user equipment (NPL p.19-20, Figure 6.2.3.2.2-1 Steps 17-19 discloses the SMF informing the selection decisions and traffic rules for implementation to the EASDF and UE).
Regarding claim 8, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 1, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 9, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 2, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 10, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 3, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 11, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 4, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 12, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 5, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 13, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 6, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 14, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 7, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 15, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 1, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 16, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 2, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 17, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 3, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 18, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 4, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 19, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 5, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Regarding claim 20, this claim contains limitations found within those of claim 1, and the same rationale of rejection applies, where applicable.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Yan et al US 2020/0322447.
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/I.R/Examiner, Art Unit 2459
/TONIA L DOLLINGER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2459
