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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
As required by M.P.E.P. 609(c), the Applicant's submissions of the Information Disclosure Statement is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P. 609 C(2), a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed and dated by the examiner is attached to the instant office action.
Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement has been received, entered into the record, and considered. See attached form PTO-1449.
Claims 1-19 are pending for examination.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Trademarks noted in the specification, such as WiFi, Para [0048], for example.
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The use of the term, WiFi which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore, the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Appropriate correction is required
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gunnar Mildh (US Publication No. 2020/0337050 A1 and Mildh hereinafter).
Regarding Claims 1, 8 and 15, Mildh teaches a method comprising: receiving, by a wireless device (i.e. wireless network) Para [0151] from a core network node (i.e. radio access node) Para [0213]: an indicator of a service type (i.e. operations) Para [0163] and (i.e., nodes work together and are managed via Management and Orchestration (MANO) 5100, which, among others, oversees lifecycle management of applications) Para [0217] wherein the indicator comprises a single network selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) Para [0389]; and an index value of an establishment cause (i.e., The AMF stores the subscribed RFSP Index value received and the RFSP Index value in use. During the Registration Update procedure, the AMF may update the RFSP Index value in use (e.g., the AMF may need to update the RFSP Index value in use if the UE related context information in the AMF has changed). When the RFSP Index value in use is changed, the AMF immediately provides the updated RFSP Index value in use to NG RAN node by modifying an existing UE context or by establishing a new UE context in RAN or by being configured to include the updated RFSP Index value in use in the DOWNLINK NAS TRANSPORT message if the user plane establishment is not needed) Para [0066] mapped (i.e., mapped) Para [0009]; [0053] and (i.e., RAN 312 performs the mapping to “UE-specific cell reselection priorities” based on index parameter as well as slice and/or subscription info provided by the CN. In some embodiments, this information can be combined with knowledge of, or based on, subscription related information or other information (e.g. Gold/Silver/Bronze subscription, Public Safety subscriptions, etc.) to set the value of the index parameter) Para [0182] to a service type (i.e., service type) Para [0008]; and sending, by the wireless device to a first base station (i.e., radio access network node or a base station.) Para [0221], a radio resource control (RRC) connection request message (i.e., his then triggers a UE initiated MM procedure including in Radio Resource Control (RRC) and Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signaling the new value of the new accepted NSSAI the network has provided) Para [0027] comprising the index value cause (i.e., The AMF stores the subscribed RFSP Index value received and the RFSP Index value in use. During the Registration Update procedure, the AMF may update the RFSP Index value in use (e.g., the AMF may need to update the RFSP Index value in use if the UE related context information in the AMF has changed). When the RFSP Index value in use is changed, the AMF immediately provides the updated RFSP Index value in use to NG RAN node by modifying an existing UE context or by establishing a new UE context in RAN or by being configured to include the updated RFSP Index value in use in the DOWNLINK NAS TRANSPORT message if the user plane establishment is not needed) Para [0066].
Regarding Claims 2,9 and 16, Mildh teaches further comprising sending, by the wireless device to the core network node, a first non-access stratum (NAS) message indicating the service type (i.e. A UE may provide NSSAI consisting of a set of parameters to the network to select the set of RAN and CN part of the NSIs 118 for the UE. If a network deploys network slicing, then it may use UE provided NSSAI to select a network slice (i.e., Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI): information consisting of a set of parameters provided by a User Equipment (UE) to the network to select the set of RAN and CN part of the NSIs for the UE. This information includes, for each slice the UE is allowed to access, a Slice Service Type (SST) Para [0008]; and Para [0022-0023].
Regarding Claims 3,10 and 17, Mildh teaches further comprising receiving, by the wireless device from the core network node, a second NAS message comprising: the indicator of the service type; and the index value of the establishment cause mapped to the service type (i.e., selection considers information such as, but not limited to, availability of network slices at the network (e.g., within the UE registration area), the active network slices for the UE, the network slices that the UE is registered to or connected to, and the network slices that the UE is allowed to access, e.g., based on subscription information. In one embodiment, the selection comprises selecting an RFSP index value.) Para [0148].
Regarding Claims 4, 11 and 18, Mildh teaches further comprising releasing, by the wireless device, an RRC connection after receiving the second NAS (i.e. Non-Access Stratum) Para [0350] message (i.e.,explicit reference to any intermediary devices and the precise routing of messages via these devices. Network infrastructure may determine the routing, which it may be configured to hide from UE 730 or from the service provider operating host computer) Para [0230].
Regarding Claims 5,12 and 19, Mildh teaches wherein the RRC connection Para [0379].
request Para [0379] comprises at least one of: a RRC registration request; or a RRC resume request Para [0379].
Regarding Claims 6 and 13, Mildh teaches wherein the core network node comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF) (i.e., CN node comprises one of an Authentication Management Function (AMF) a Session Management Function (SMF) a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) ) Para [0071].
Regarding Claims 7 and 14, Mildh teaches wherein the core network node and the first base station are associated with a first public land mobile network (PLMN) Para [0330].
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mildh, G., (US Patent Publication No. 2020/0337050 A1), “FREQUENCY OR RADIO ACCESS TECHNOLOGY (RAT) SELECTION BASED ON SLICE AVAILABILITY” (October 22, 2020) discloses a core network function is provided for determining information for RAT and/or frequency selection based on knowledge of network slices and providing that information to a RAN node, which may provide that information to a UE. The information may be a RFSP index or other index parameter, which may be set based on subscription related information or other information. Slice knowledge includes knowledge of availability of network slices at the network, active slices for the UE, slices to which the UE is registered or connected, and/or slices to which the UE is allowed access. RAN node performs mapping to mobility policies for UE active or idle mobility based on the determined information along with slice or subscription information provided by a CN node.
Ninglekhu et al., (US Patent Publication No. 20230052699 A1), “FREQUENCY RANGE DRIVEN NETWORK SLICING” (February 16, 2023) discloses Network Slice Selection Assistance information (NSSA1) may be signaled between User Equipment (UE) and a network. NSSA1 sent from the network to the UE. Operating Frequency Band (OFB) for each Single NSSAI(S-NSSA1) in the NSSAI, a Radio Access Technology (RAT) Frequency Selection Priority (RFSP) index, which the network configures as a part of UE access and mobility; subscription, during a UE registration procedure. RAT restrictions may be enhanced to indicate to the UE that certain slices are not accessible via certain RATs. A UE may be provided by the network with an alternative NSSAI and corresponding OFBs for each S-NSSAI thereby indicating to the UE that these S-NSSAI would have been allowed had they been requested. A UE may be able to choose an alternative Allowed NSSAI and send a registration update request to the network.
Communication
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE D MIZRAHI whose telephone number is 571- 272-4079. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30-3:30 PM (7:30 - 4:30 p.m.).
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/DIANE D MIZRAHI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
Diane.Mizrahi@USPTO.gov