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 .
DETAILED OFFICE ACTION
This action is responsive to the communication received November 5th, 2025. Claims 1, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 have been amended. Claims 3, 7, 10, 14, 16, 20 have been canceled. Claims 21-22 have been newly added. Claims 1-2, 4-6, 8-9, 11-13, 15, 17-19, 21-22 have been entered and are presented for examination.
Application 18/363,868 is a Continuation of PCT/CN2021/092716 (05/10/2021) and has PCT CN2021075114 (02/03/2021)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed November 5th, 2025, have been fully considered, but deemed moot in view of the new grounds of rejection which has been necessitated by Applicant’s amendment.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 8 recite the limitation "the mobility management network element". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12, 15, 18, 21-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (US 2023/0199691) in view of Huang-Fu et al. (US 2019/0254089).
Regarding claims 1, 9, 15, Lu et al. discloses a method for controlling a terminal device to access a network (see Figure 8 [method to control UE access to a network]), comprising: receiving identification information of the network from an access network device (paragraph 0095 [an LMF entity sends a Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message to the AMF entity, where the Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer message carries an ID associated with an LCS and a DL location container, and the DL location container may carry location assistance information]); and sending information indicating not to initiate a service in response to failing to determine whether the terminal device is allowed to access the network (paragraphs 0096 [the AMF entity sends a DL NAS TRANSPORT message to the UE; location of the UE is not known]).
Lu et al. does not explicitly disclose wherein sending, to the terminal device, the information indicating not to initiate the service further comprises: sending a first message to the terminal device, wherein the first message comprises a timer 2, the timer 2 is used to instruct the terminal device not to initiate a service with a duration of the timer 2.
However, Huang-Fu et al. discloses wherein sending, to the terminal device, the information indicating not to initiate the service further comprises: sending a first message to the terminal device, wherein the first message comprises a timer 2, the timer 2 is used to instruct the terminal device not to initiate a service with a duration of the timer 2 (paragraphs 0047, 0052, 0058-0059 [the AMF 221 can send a DL NAS transport message including a payload type SMS 214 or LPP 215, a 5GMM cause value, and timer information to the UE 210. Herein, the 5GMM cause value can include the cause code #90 corresponding to “payload was not forwarded”, #22 corresponding to “congestion”, #67 corresponding to “insufficient resources for specific slice and data network name”, #69 corresponding to “insufficient resources for specific slice”, #91 corresponding to “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice”, #28 corresponding to “restricted service area”, and the like. The timer information can include the timer type, i.e., back-off timer or re-attempt timer, and the timer value. The timer can be indicated from the core network signaling, a default timer, or a standardized timer]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the DL NAS Transport Message of Lu et al. could have a timer information where the timer information can include the timer type, i.e., back-off timer or re-attempt timer, and the timer value in order to indicate to the UE a time to re-attempt.
Regarding claim 2, Lu et al. further discloses determining, by the mobility management network element, that the terminal device accesses the network through a satellite (paragraphs 0045, 0107 [if the AMF entity determines, based on the location information of the UE, that the UE does not select a correct satellite PLMN]).
Regarding claims 5, 12, 18, Lu et al. further discloses wherein the information indicating not to initiate the service (paragraphs 0096 [the AMF entity sends a DL NAS TRANSPORT message to the UE; location of the UE is not known]) is useable [to indicate whether the terminal device is allowed to access the network fails to be verified (MPEP 2111.04)].
Regarding claims 8, 21-22, Lu et al. further discloses wherein a case in which it is not determined whether the terminal device is allowed to access the network comprises: the mobility management network element does not fails to obtain a location of the terminal device; or a precision of the location of the terminal device, that is obtained by the mobility management network element, is insufficient to determine whether to allow the terminal device to access the network (paragraphs 0100 [the UE returns a UL NAS TRANSPORT message to the AMF entity; the amf_Communication_N1MessageNotify message carries the UL location container; the AMF does not know the UE’s location, and send the information to the LMF]).
Claim(s) 4, 11, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (US 2023/0199691) in view of Huang-Fu et al. (US 2019/0254089) as applied to claims 1, 9, 15 above, and further in view of Wafta et al. (US 2022/0377613).
Regarding claims 4, 11, 17, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, 15, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the first message is a registration accept message or a response message of a session establishment request.
However, Wafta et al. discloses wherein the first message is a registration accept message or a response message of a session establishment request (paragraph 0095 [the AMF may send, to the UE, a DL message including a duration of a BO timer. The BO timer may be associated with at least one of a DNN, a network slice, and/or SGC for the UE and/or for the PDU session. The DL message may be one of a Service Accept message, Service Reject message, or a DL NAS Transport message]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the DL NAS Transport message could be a Service Accept or Service Reject message with a backoff timer. The motivation for this is to enable the UE to begin service after the backoff timer expires.
Claim(s) 6, 13, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu et al. (US 2023/0199691) in view of Huang-Fu et al. (US 2019/0254089) as applied to claim 1, 9, 15 above, and further in view of S2-2009484 (11/2020).
Regarding claims 6, 13, 19, the references as combined above disclose all the recited subject matter in claims 1, 9, 15, but do not explicitly disclose wherein the first message further comprises a timer 1, and the timer 1 indicates is [useable to indicate that deregistration is initiated after the timer 1 expires (MPEP 2111.04)].
However, S2-2009484 discloses wherein the first message further comprises a timer 1, and the timer 1 indicates (Section 4.2.2.3.3 [the AMF determines that no S-NSSAI can be provided in the Allowed NSSAI for the UE or the UE’s registered PLMN is not allowed to operate in the present UE location) or implicit (e.g. expiring of Implicit Deregistration timer)]; Section 4.2.3.2 [AMF may also provide a UE with a Mobility Management Back-off timer set to the remaining value of the Service Gap timer; The UE shall not initiate UE Triggered Service Request from CM-IDLE if there is a Service Gap timer running]) is [useable to indicate that deregistration is initiated after the timer 1 expires (MPEP 2111.04)].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to recognize the first message could have second timer associated with it for deregistration.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE whose telephone number is (571)270-3937. The examiner can normally be reached 4pm-11:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayman Abaza can be reached at (571)270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER T WYLLIE/Examiner, Art Unit 2465