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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. All claims have priority date of 01/14/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/16/2025, 12/5/2024 and 1/8/2024 are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-6, 10-12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) being anticipated by US 20210274387 A1 KOUSARIDAS; Apostolos et al.
Claims 1 and 19: KOUSARIDAS teaches A communication device (par. 2 a device and a method for determining a QoS of a communication service), comprising a processor, a memory, and instructions stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor (inherent, par. 96 “the communication system is based on a 5G communication system”), wherein the instructions, when being executed by the processor (par. 100 “it should be clear for a skilled person that these methods and functionalities can be implemented in respective software or hardware elements”), implements:
And KOUSARIDAS also teaches A transmission method, executed by a network entity ( par 23 “The QoS function (e.g., the P-QoS function) may be an individual network function, it may be distributed among different network entities” ), wherein the method comprises:
obtaining first information specific to target transmission data and sent by an application server (Where P-QOS function retains subscription requests received from application servers, See rejection claim 2 infra);
determining, based on the first information, a session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for a terminal (See Rejection of Claim 11 infra) and
managing a session management channel between the application server and the terminal according to the session management policy (See Rejection of Claim 12 infra).
Claim 2. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information comprises:
an identifier of the application server (pars. 81-82 “the subscription parameter includes one or more of: a protocol data unit (PDU) session identification number (ID) a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication service ID”); and
the first information further comprises at least one of time information for using the target transmission data and location information for using the target transmission data (par. 82 “a predefined geographical area for the determination of the change in the QoS of the at least one communication service… a duration time of the communication service”)).
Claim 3. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 1, wherein before the obtaining first information specific to target transmission data and sent by an application server, the method further comprises:
obtaining second information sent by the application server (par. 81 “..the subscription of the at least one application entity to the QoS function, is activated based on a subscription parameter provided from the at least one application entity..”),
wherein the second information is used for obtaining a statistical parameter for a target data transmission service between the terminal and the application server; and in response to the second information (par. 44 subscription activated), determining the statistical parameter for the target data transmission service between the terminal and the application server (par. 47 “the change in the QoS of the at least one communication service is determined”), and sending third information to the application server, wherein the third information comprises the statistical parameter (par. 49 “, notifying the determined change in the QoS comprises providing a notification to the at least one application entity and/or the at least one of the network entities”).
Claim 4. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 3, wherein the second information comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the application server; time information; and location information (par. 82 “a predefined geographical area for the determination of the change in the QoS of the at least one communication service… a duration time of the communication service”)
Claim 5. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 3, wherein before the obtaining second information sent by the application server, the method further comprises:
performing subscription to the application server, so as to agree on that the network entity provides the target data transmission service for the application server (Kousaridas par. 33 “a V2X application entity may be configured to subscribe and may further request the device (and/or the communication network) to provide the QoS function (e.g., enable the prediction service, determine the QoS, determine a change in the QoS, determine the change in the coverage levels, etc.)”).
Claim 6. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 5, wherein the subscription (par. 81 “..the subscription of the at least one application entity to the QoS function, is activated based on a subscription parameter provided from the at least one application entity..”) is further used to agree on at least one of the following:
an identifier of the application server that performs the target data transmission service (pars. 81-82 “the subscription parameter includes one or more of: a protocol data unit (PDU) session identification number (ID) a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication service ID”);
time information for performing the target data transmission service; and location information for performing the target data transmission service (pars 81-82 teaching various time information and geographic location information for the service) .
Claim 11. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining, based on the first information, a session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for a terminal comprises:
obtaining a movement trajectory and movement speed of the terminal (Fig. 4 pars 171-179 “Specific information per UE (e.g., RRC measurement reports, radio link quality, UE speed, UE mobility information) that can be retrieved via same or other neighboring UEs.”; par 190 “the device 100 may further obtain the monitoring response from the AF 110 which may be, e.g., the path of the vehicle, the trajectory of the vehicle, etc”), and
determining, based on the first information and the movement trajectory and movement speed of the terminal, the session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for the terminal (pars 200-203 prediction results determined based on the collected parameters sent to SM and par 233 “he outcomes of the P-QoS notification about the expected QoS and/or the coverage change may be transmitted to the network entities (e.g., BS, UPF, AMF, SMF, PCF, V2X-CF of the 5G system, etc.). Moreover, the appropriate re-configuration action may be triggered and decided by the network, for example, based on the type of the notification, and in order to maintain the initial agreed QoS level and/or optimize the network performance”).
Claim 12. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 1, wherein the managing a session management channel between the application server and the terminal according to the session management policy comprises:
adjusting the session management policy to have a policy for the target data transmission service carried in the session management policy (Figs. 7a, 7b, pars 227 “The notification may be, for example, the service ID, the V2X-UE ID, the QoS parameter (e.g., an old value of the QoS, a new value for the QoS, an event, a timing information that the changes in the QoS being applied, the geographical area that the changes in QoS being applied, probability of the QoS change, etc.)”); and
triggering a session management function to perform session management and adjusting quality of service of a PDU session (Figs. 7a, 7b, pars 230-231 “the P-QoS functionality may notify the SMF 303 entity, and the latter may forward the notification for any change of the QoS or the coverage levels to the PCF 306. Then, the PCF 306 undertakes to transmit the notification message to the NEF 601, the AMF 302, and/or any other function or network entity”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20210274387 A1 KOUSARIDAS; Apostolos et al. in view of US 20230156094 A1 Hergenhan; Scott et al.
Claim 7. KOUSARIDAS teaches The method according to claim 1 (supra).
KOUSARIDAS does not teach wherein the determining, based on the first information, a session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for a terminal comprises: obtaining indication information sent by the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a target data transmission service with the application server; and in a case that the terminal is determined, based on the indication information, to support the target data transmission service with the application server, determining, based on the first information, the session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for the terminal.
Hergenhan teaches wherein the determining, based on the first information, a session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for a terminal comprises: obtaining indication information sent by the terminal, wherein the indication information is used to indicate whether the terminal supports a target data transmission service with the application server (par. 134 “..EEC1, may issue (e.g., send, transmit, provide, etc.) an AT command, for example, to trigger the establishment of a PDU Session. According to embodiments, the EEC (e.g., EEC1) may (e.g., also, additionally, etc.) provide its EEC ID (e.g., EEC1) and the App Id and/or Service ID provided by the relevant AC. According to embodiments, such information may be provided (e.g., sent), for example, in a PCO part of a +CGDCONT AT command..”); and
in a case that the terminal is determined, based on the indication information, to support the target data transmission service with the application server, determining, based on the first information, the session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for the terminal ( Par. 136 “..an SMF, for example, upon receipt of a PDU session establishment request message, may derive ECS information relevant to the EECs and/or app IDs provided in the PCO within (e.g., during) the PDU session establishment request message..” Par. 72 “e SMF 183a, 183b may perform other functions, such as managing and allocating UE IP address, managing PDU sessions, controlling policy enforcement and QoS, providing downlink data notifications, and the like. A PDU session type may be IP-based, non-IP based, Ethernet-based, and the like”)
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art, to modify the invention of KOUSARIDAS to include the noted teachings of HERGENHAN in order to provide an edge-aware application (e.g., device) attempting to join an edge network, and to discover and make use of edge network services (See Hergenhan par. 91 “In an edge computing environment, an edge-aware application (e.g., device) attempting to join an edge network, and to discover and make use of edge network services, can (e.g., must first) discover an edge network management server.”)
Claim 8. The combination teaches The method according to claim 7, wherein the obtaining indication information sent by the terminal comprises at least one of the following:
obtaining indication information sent by the terminal based on registration request information during a registration procedure or a periodicity and mobility management procedure;
Hergenhan par. 134 “..an ECS provisioning procedure may include any of the following operations…”
and obtaining indication information sent by the terminal based on a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment message or a PDU session modification message during a session management procedure.
(Hergenhan par. 134 “..EEC1, may issue (e.g., send, transmit, provide, etc.) an AT command, for example, to trigger the establishment of a PDU Session. According to embodiments, the EEC (e.g., EEC1) may (e.g., also, additionally, etc.) provide its EEC ID (e.g., EEC1) and the App Id and/or Service ID provided by the relevant AC. According to embodiments, such information may be provided (e.g., sent), for example, in a PCO part of a +CGDCONT AT command..”)
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art, to modify the combination to include the noted teachings of HERGENHAN in order to provide an edge-aware application (e.g., device) attempting to join an edge network, and to discover and make use of edge network services. Supra; (See also Hergenhan par. 129 a case (e.g., as defined by 3GPP) having multiple edge enabler clients (EECs) may be associated with multiple application clients (ACs), and these EECs may be (e.g., even, also, etc.) associated with multiple PLMNs. )
Claim 9. The combination teaches The method according to claim 8, wherein in the case of obtaining the indication information sent by the terminal based on the registration request information during the registration procedure or the periodicity and mobility management procedure, the indication information is indicated by an unused bit in a mobility management capability information element of the registration request information;
or wherein, in the case of obtaining the indication information sent by the terminal based on the PDU session establishment message or the PDU session modification message during the session management procedure, the indication information is indicated in any one of the following manners: an unused bit in a session management capability information element of a session management message; and a protocol configuration option (PCO) information element or EPCO information element in the session management message.
(Hergenhan par. 134 “..EEC1, may issue (e.g., send, transmit, provide, etc.) an AT command, for example, to trigger the establishment of a PDU Session. According to embodiments, the EEC (e.g., EEC1) may (e.g., also, additionally, etc.) provide its EEC ID (e.g., EEC1) and the App Id and/or Service ID provided by the relevant AC. According to embodiments, such information may be provided (e.g., sent), for example, in a PCO part of a +CGDCONT AT command..”);
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art, to modify the combination to include the noted teachings of HERGENHAN in order to provide an edge-aware application (e.g., device) attempting to join an edge network, and to discover and make use of edge network services. Supra; (See also Hergenhan par. 129 a case (e.g., as defined by 3GPP) having multiple edge enabler clients (EECs) may be associated with multiple application clients (ACs), and these EECs may be (e.g., even, also, etc.) associated with multiple PLMNs. )
Claim 10. The combination teaches The method according to claim 9, wherein the PCO information element or the EPCO information element carries an identifier of the application server.
(Hergenhan par. 134 “..EEC1, may issue (e.g., send, transmit, provide, etc.) an AT command, for example, to trigger the establishment of a PDU Session. According to embodiments, the EEC (e.g., EEC1) may (e.g., also, additionally, etc.) provide its EEC ID (e.g., EEC1) and the App Id and/or Service ID provided by the relevant AC. According to embodiments, such information may be provided (e.g., sent), for example, in a PCO part of a +CGDCONT AT command..”).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art, to modify the combination to include the noted teachings of HERGENHAN in order to provide an edge-aware application (e.g., device) attempting to join an edge network, and to discover and make use of edge network services. Supra; (See also Hergenhan par. 129 a case (e.g., as defined by 3GPP) having multiple edge enabler clients (EECs) may be associated with multiple application clients (ACs), and these EECs may be (e.g., even, also, etc.) associated with multiple PLMNs. )
Pertinent Prior Art(s)
The prior art made of record though not relied upon in the current rejection is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
CN 110771251 A LI, Hong-kun et al. (see claims 1-15)
Teaching an apparatus comprising a processor and a memory. The apparatus is connected to a communication network, and the apparatus further comprises a computer-executable instruction stored in the memory of the apparatus, wherein when the computer-executable instruction is executed by the processor of the apparatus, the apparatus is made to execute operations, which comprise: receiving a request to configure a network session for non-IP data (equivalent to target transmission data) delivery in the communication network; retrieving policy information about the non-IP data delivery, and determining, on the basis of the policy information, a path for transferring non-IP data within the communication network; selecting an anchor point within the communication network, and assigning an identity to a session to be established; sending, to the selected anchor point, a request to establish a session along a selected path; and sending a response indicating that the session has been established. The request to configure a session is received from an application server (AS). The request to configure the session comprises a non-access stratum (NAS) message, which comprises one or more of an indication that the session is for the non-IP data, an identifier of a sender of the non-IP data, and an identifier of a destination of the non-IP data. The non-IP data comprises one of mobile originated (MO) and mobile terminated (MT) non-IP data. The selected path further comprises a session management function (SMF).
3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Architecture enhancements for 5G System (5GS) to support Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) services (Release 16)", 3GPP STANDARD; 3GPP TS 23.287, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (8GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE ; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES ; F-06921 SOPHIA-ANTIPOLIS CEDEX ; FRANCE no. V16.5.0 17 December 2020 (2020-12-17), pages 1-58, XP051975165, Retrieved from the Internet: URL:https://ftp.3gpp.org/Specs/archive/23_series/23.287/23287-g50.zip 23287-g50.docx
A transmission method, executed by a network entity (D1, paragraph 5.1.1, Policy Control Function (PCF)), characterized in that the method comprises: obtaining first information specific (D1, paragraph 5.1.1, implicit disclosure for serving a particular UE, which also must be authorized to use V2X communication by the PCF) to target transmission data and sent by an application server (D1, paragraph 5.1.1, "parameters for V2X communication made available to the UE, provided by the V2X AS via the PCF");
determining, based on the first information, a session management policy corresponding to transmission of the target transmission data for a terminal (D1, paragraph 5.1.3, "Policy/Parameter provisioning"); and
managing a session management channel between the application server and the terminal according to the session management policy (D1, implicit disclosure by "V2X application server supported session for UE" + potential update the parameters as presented in paragraph 5.1.1).
US 2020/112907 A1 DAO; Ngoc Dung et al.
WO 2019/194954 A1 LI HONGKUN et al.
Conclusion
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UMAIR AHSAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2647
/UMAIR AHSAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647