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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/06/2026 has been entered.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claims 1-6, 8-13, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matolia et al. (2021/0314906), hereinafter Matolia in view of Park, Jungshin (2023/0145512), hereinafter Park and Youn et al. (2018/0376384), hereinafter Youn.
Re. Claims 1 and 8, Matolia teaches a network data collection and analytics function (NWDAF) of a wireless communication system, the NWDAF comprising: a communication interface; a memory; and at least one processor coupled to the communication interface and the memory (Fig. 19 & ¶0195 - The NWADF may include a network port, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium, and a processor operably coupled to the memory medium, among other components), wherein the at least one processor is configured to: receive a first request message for requesting network performance analytics from a policy control function (PCF) (¶0120 - the NWDAF may receive or collect UE mobility information from one or more of the AMF, PCF, UCMF, or other Network Functions), and transmit, to the PCF, a second notification message including a performance analytics result of the session performance data (¶0122 - The NWDAF may perform data analytics on the information received, and may deliver the analytics data to one or more of the aforementioned types of NFs. The delivered analytics data may be used by the NFs to inform and/or direct network operation and/or resource allocation for edge computing by the NFs).
Yet, Matolia does not expressly teach wherein the NWDAF transmit[s] a second request message for requesting data collection for the network performance analytics to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of a first network related to session performance of a user equipment (UE), and wherein the session performance data includes UE route selection policy (URSP) usage information related to a session.
However, Park explicitly teaches wherein the NWDAF transmit[s] a second request message for requesting data collection for the network performance analytics to an access and mobility management function (AMF) of a first network related to session performance of a user equipment (UE) (¶0042 - The NWDAF 165 is an NF that provides analysis information for the 5GS to operate. The NWDAF may collect data from other NFs or operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) constituting the 5GS, analyze the collected data, and provide the analysis results to other NFs, ¶0046 - items described using NFs (e.g., an AMF, an SMF, a UPF, an NSSF, a network repository function (NRF), or a service communication proxy (SCP) may be replaced with items described using NF instances, or, conversely, items described using NF instances may be replaced items described using NFs & ¶0055 - the NWDAF may perform a setup process for collecting UE data with the UE according to an NWDAF request. Examiner interprets, transitively, as this reference has defined each step, that the NWDAF is considered an NF, which can be interpreted to be any of the exemplary functions), and wherein the session performance data includes UE route selection policy (URSP) usage information related to a session (¶0061 - performs a UE configuration update procedure with the UE to deliver the new session mode selection policy to the UE by including the new session mode selection policy in UE route selection policy (URSP) information.)
Yet, the combination of Matolia and Park does not expressly teach where the NWDAF receive[s], from the at least one AMF, a first notification message including session performance data of the first network and an indicator indicating that the UE has performed a handover from the first network.
However, Youn explicitly teaches where the NWDAF receive[s], from the at least one AMF, a first notification message including session performance data of the first network and an indicator indicating that the UE has performed a handover from the first network (¶0007 - receiving a first indication from an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5GC network; and performing a handover attach procedure in the EPC network based on the first indication)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Park and Youn to the teaching of Matolia. The motivation for such would be to improve transmission efficiency by providing specific performance data as Park provides that performance data includes URSP usage information related to a session (¶0061, Park) and Gan provides an example of moving networks in response to session performance data (¶0007, Youn). All of the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements, as claimed by known methods, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention.
Re. Claims 3 and 10, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 1 and 8.
Additionally, Matolia further teaches wherein the first request message includes a first parameter designating a request for session performance data for the network performance analytics (¶0145 - a NF sends an analytics information request message to the NWDAF for data analytics information. The request message may be a Nnwdaf_AnalyticsInfo_Request message).
Re. Claims 4 and 11, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 1 and 8.
Additionally, Matolia further teaches wherein the second request message includes a second parameter designating at least one session of the UE requesting data collection for the network performance analytics (¶0146 - the NWDAF sends a message to the AF to subscribe to EAS and application information. The message sent to the AF may be a Naf_EventExposure_Subscribe message).
Re. Claims 5 and 12, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 1 and 8.
Yet, the combination of Matolia and Youn does not expressly teach wherein the first notification message includes a protocol data unit (PDU) session identifier (ID) and/or a slice ID related to each session of the UE.
However, Park explicitly teaches wherein the first notification message includes a protocol data unit (PDU) session identifier (ID) (Fig. 2 – 205, & ¶0055 - the AF or NWDAF may deliver at least one of a UE ID, a PDU session ID, a QoS flow ID, or area-of-interest (AOI) information indicating a collection area to the UE. Additionally, Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features needs to be mapped because of the presence of “And/Or”) AND/OR a slice ID related to each session of the UE.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Park to the teaching of Matolia and Youn. The motivation for such would be as Park provides that the first notification message includes a PDU ID (¶0055, Park). All of the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements, as claimed by known methods, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention.
Re. Claims 6 and 13, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 5 and 12.
Yet, the combination of Matolia and Youn does not expressly teach wherein the second notification message includes at least one of the PDU session ID.
However, wherein the second notification message includes at least one of the PDU session ID (Fig. 2 – 205b, & ¶0055 - the AF or NWDAF may deliver at least one of a UE ID, a PDU session ID, a QoS flow ID, or area-of-interest (AOI) information indicating a collection area to the UE. Additionally, Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features needs to be mapped because of the presence of “Or”), the slice ID, OR a quality-of-service (QoS) flow ID (QFI).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Park to the teaching of Matolia and Youn. The motivation for such would be as Park provides that the second notification message includes a PDU ID (¶0055, Park). All of the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements, as claimed by known methods, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention.
Re. Claims 15 and 16, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 1 and 8.
Additionally, Matolia further teaches wherein the first network comprises a fifth generation (5G) network and the second network comprises a fourth generation (4G) network (¶0091 - base station 102A may be a next generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or “gNB”. In some embodiments, a gNB may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and/or to a NR core (NRC) network. Additionally, Examiner interprets that only one of the claimed features needs to be mapped because of the presence of “Or”), OR wherein the first network comprises the 4G network and the second network comprises the 5G network.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matolia in view of Park, Youn, and Gan et al. (2025/0133606), hereinafter Gan.
Re. Claims 7 and 14, Matolia, Park, and Youn teach claims 1 and 8.
Yet, the combination of Matolia, Park, and Youn does not expressly teach receiving a third notification message including performance data for a packet data network (PDN) connection being used by the UE in the second network from a session management function (SMF).
However, Gan explicitly teaches receiving a third notification message including performance data for a packet data network (PDN) connection being used by the UE in the second network from a session management function (SMF) (¶0086 - the response message received in step S103 from the second network node may include a list of PDU Session ID(s) that have been assigned for PDN connections established by the UE. ¶0083 - The second network node may act as an NF service producer, or similar in other future developments, that receives a request message… It should be understood that the second network node may also be any other appropriate entity, including a virtualized entity that may be implemented on cloud).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the teaching of Gan to the teaching of Matolia, Park, and Youn. The motivation for such would be to improve transmission efficiency via providing performance data to inform decision making as Gan provides a PDN connection used by the UE being sent in a message by an NF (¶0086, Gan). All of the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements, as claimed by known methods, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3-8, 10-16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. On pages 8 and 9 of the response, Applicant argues that Claim 1 is allowable due to the deficiencies of then used reference Gan 1 in light of the newly presented amendments. Examiner has removed Gan 1 from the rejection and instead provided new reference Youn which discloses a handoff procedure being performed under similar circumstances (¶0007 - receiving a first indication from an access and mobility management function (AMF) of the 5GC network; and performing a handover attach procedure in the EPC network based on the first indication), as well as further context from Park in order to fully relate the NWDAF and PCF to an AMF (¶0042 - The NWDAF 165 is an NF that provides analysis information for the 5GS to operate. The NWDAF may collect data from other NFs or operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) constituting the 5GS, analyze the collected data, and provide the analysis results to other NFs, ¶0046 - items described using NFs (e.g., an AMF, an SMF, a UPF, an NSSF, a network repository function (NRF), or a service communication proxy (SCP) may be replaced with items described using NF instances, or, conversely, items described using NF instances may be replaced items described using NFs & ¶0055 - the NWDAF may perform a setup process for collecting UE data with the UE according to an NWDAF request). Examiner finds that these newly amended sections disclose the same material as the newly amended claims, and as such, upholds the rejection of the independent claims under 35 U.S.C. § 103, as well as all claims depending therein.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
So, Tricci (2024/0373291) - ¶0019-0026, ¶0100-0136
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/N.J.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2475
/KHALED M KASSIM/supervisory patent examiner, Art Unit 2475
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