DETAILED ACTION
This communication is responsive to Application No. #18/405978 filed on January 5, 2024. Claims 1-20 are subject to examination.
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 .
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1, 8, and 15, the claims recite the limitation, “receive/receiving, … from the RAN [OR] the second device, uplink data packets and downlink data packets associated with the PDU session …” (Emphasis added). It is unclear what the receiving device is, and where in the path of the PDU session that the receiving device is located in order to receive both uplink and downlink data packets from the RAN (or from the second device). For purposes of examination, the Examiner has interpreted the limitation to read that the receiving device receive/transmit downlink/uplink data packets from/to the RAN.
Regarding claims 1, 8, and 15, the claims recite the limitation, “… a network device …” (Emphasis added). It is unclear what is the specific role(s) of this network device. For purposes of examination, the Examiner has interpreted that the network device can be any device entity in the communication network; e.g., UE, base station, gateway, etc.
Regarding claims 2-7, 9-14, and 16-20, claims 2-7 each depend on independent claim 1, claims 9-14 each depend on independent claim 8, and claims 16-20 each depend on independent claim 15, and therefore, inherit the 35 U.S.C. 112(b) issues of the independent claims.
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 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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 8, 10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kawasaki et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20190174387, hereinafter, “Kawasaki”).
Regarding claim 1, Kawasaki teaches:
A method, comprising (Kawasaki: [0298] … an example of the handover procedure... Fig. 19):
receiving, by a device, a handover request to handover a protocol data unit (PDU) session of a network device from a radio access network (RAN) to the device (Kawasaki: [0301] An example of steps of the handover procedure initiated by the network … the eNB_A 45 [network device] … transmits a handover request message to the eNB_B 145 [receiving device], and starts the network-initiated handover procedure (S2400)(S2402) … [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
providing, by the device and to the RAN, a handover request acknowledgment message acknowledging receipt of the handover request (Kawasaki: [0303] The eNB_B 145 receives the handover request message and transmits a handover request response message [i.e., acknowledgment message] to the eNB_A 45 (S2404) ... Fig. 19);
receiving, by the device and from the RAN, a sequence number status transfer indicating provision of a handover command by the RAN to the network device (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408) ... Fig. 19);
receiving, by the device and from the RAN, uplink data packets and downlink data packets associated with the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
receiving, by the device and from the network device, a request to establish the PDU session; and establishing, by the device, the PDU session of the network device based on the request to establish the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145. The eNB_B 145 may have the same configuration as the eNB_A 45 ... [0185] … each device performs a PDU session establishment procedure (S2002) to change its state to the first state. Note that each device may exchange, with other devices, various pieces of capability information and/or various pieces of request information of each device in the attach procedure and/or the PDU session establishment procedure … Figs. 15, 19).
Regarding claim 2, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
receiving, from the network device, a handover complete message indicating that the handover of the PDU session of the network device from the RAN to the device is complete (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408). The UE_A 10 receives the RRC connection reconfiguration request message and transmits an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message to the eNB_B 145 (S2410). Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 3, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
providing the downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to the network device (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 5, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
enabling additional uplink data packets and additional downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to be exchanged between the network device and a data network, via the device, based on establishing the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 8, Kawasaki teaches:
A first device, comprising (Kawasaki: eNB_B 145. Fig. 19):
one or more memories; and one or more processors to (Kawasaki: [0332] A program running on an apparatus according to the present invention may serve as a program that controls a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the like to cause a computer to operate in such a manner as to realize the functions of the embodiment according to the present invention. A program or information handled by the program is transitorily stored in a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or other storage device systems.):
receive a handover request to handover a protocol data unit (PDU) session of a network device from a second device to the first device (Kawasaki: [0301] An example of steps of the handover procedure initiated by the network … the eNB_A 45 [network device, second device] … transmits a handover request message to the eNB_B 145 [receiving device], and starts the network-initiated handover procedure (S2400)(S2402) … [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
provide, to the second device, a handover request acknowledgment message acknowledging receipt of the handover request (Kawasaki: [0303] The eNB_B 145 receives the handover request message and transmits a handover request response message [i.e., acknowledgment message] to the eNB_A 45 (S2404) ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the second device, a sequence number status transfer indicating provision of a handover command by the second device to the network device (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408) ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the second device, uplink data packets and downlink data packets associated with the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the network device, a request to establish the PDU session; and establish the PDU session of the network device based on the request to establish the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145. The eNB_B 145 may have the same configuration as the eNB_A 45 ... [0185] … each device performs a PDU session establishment procedure (S2002) to change its state to the first state. Note that each device may exchange, with other devices, various pieces of capability information and/or various pieces of request information of each device in the attach procedure and/or the PDU session establishment procedure … Figs. 15, 19).
Regarding claim 10, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
enable additional uplink data packets and additional downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to be exchanged between the network device and a data network, via the first device, based on establishing the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 14, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
wherein the second device generates the handover request based on a handover decision (Kawasaki: [0301] ... First, the eNB_A 45 determines to perform the handover procedure, transmits a handover request message to the eNB_B 145, and starts the network-initiated handover procedure (S2400)(S2402). Fig. 19).
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 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 4, 7, 9, 11-12, 15-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki in view of Prakasam et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20220022103, hereinafter, “Prakasam”).
Regarding claim 4, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
providing the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
providing the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function (Prakasam: [0137] … Once the registration procedure is complete, the UE may trigger PDU session establishment to transfer the IMS PDU at 926 [SMF/UPD 910] ... Fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 7, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the RAN generates the handover request based on a measurement report received from the network device and a handover decision generated based on the measurement report.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
wherein the RAN generates the handover request based on a measurement report received from the network device and a handover decision generated based on the measurement report (Prakasam: [0151] ... In some embodiments, the indication from the first RAT RAN to handover the on-going PDU sessions to the second RAT RAN may be based on one or more measurement reports transmitted by the UE to the first RAN, network conditions on the first RAN, and/or network load management between the first RAN and the second RAN).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 9, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
receive, from the network device, a handover complete message indicating that the handover of the PDU session of the network device from the second device to the first device is complete (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408). The UE_A 10 receives the RRC connection reconfiguration request message and transmits an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message to the eNB_B 145 (S2410). Fig. 19);
provide the downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to the network device based on receiving the handover complete message (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
provide the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function based on receiving the handover complete message.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
provide the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function based on receiving the handover complete message (Prakasam: [0137] … Once the registration procedure is complete, the UE may trigger PDU session establishment to transfer the IMS PDU at 926 [SMF/UPD 910] ... Fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 11, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the handover request is triggered by the network device.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
wherein the handover request is triggered by the network device (Prakasam: [0151] ... In some embodiments, the indication from the first RAT RAN to handover the on-going PDU sessions to the second RAT RAN may be based on one or more measurement reports transmitted by the UE to the first RAN, network conditions on the first RAN, and/or network load management between the first RAN and the second RAN).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 12, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the handover request is triggered by the second device.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
wherein the handover request is triggered by the second device (Prakasam: [0151] ... In some embodiments, the indication from the first RAT RAN to handover the on-going PDU sessions to the second RAT RAN may be based on one or more measurement reports transmitted by the UE to the first RAN, network conditions on the first RAN, and/or network load management between the first RAN and the second RAN).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 15, Kawasaki teaches:
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first device, cause the first device to (Kawasaki: [0332] A program running on an apparatus according to the present invention may serve as a program that controls a Central Processing Unit (CPU) and the like to cause a computer to operate in such a manner as to realize the functions of the embodiment according to the present invention. A program or information handled by the program is transitorily stored in a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, a Hard Disk Drive (HDD), or other storage device systems.):
receive a handover request to handover a protocol data unit (PDU) session of a network device from a second device to the first device (Kawasaki: [0301] An example of steps of the handover procedure initiated by the network … the eNB_A 45 [network device, second device] … transmits a handover request message to the eNB_B 145 [receiving device], and starts the network-initiated handover procedure (S2400)(S2402) … [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
provide, to the second device, a handover request acknowledgment message acknowledging receipt of the handover request (Kawasaki: [0303] The eNB_B 145 receives the handover request message and transmits a handover request response message [i.e., acknowledgment message] to the eNB_A 45 (S2404) ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the second device, a sequence number status transfer indicating provision of a handover command by the second device to the network device (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408) ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the second device, uplink data packets and downlink data packets associated with the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19);
receive, from the network device, a request to establish the PDU session; establish the PDU session of the network device based on the request to establish the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145. The eNB_B 145 may have the same configuration as the eNB_A 45 ... [0185] … each device performs a PDU session establishment procedure (S2002) to change its state to the first state. Note that each device may exchange, with other devices, various pieces of capability information and/or various pieces of request information of each device in the attach procedure and/or the PDU session establishment procedure … Figs. 15, 19).
receive, from the network device, a handover complete message indicating that the handover of the PDU session of the network device from the second device to the first device is complete (Kawasaki: [0303] ... The eNB_A 45 receives the handover request response message … and transmits an SN status transfer message to the eNB_B 145 (S2406) (S2408). The UE_A 10 receives the RRC connection reconfiguration request message and transmits an RRC connection reconfiguration complete message to the eNB_B 145 (S2410). Fig. 19);
provide the downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to the network device based on receiving the handover complete message (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established [established PDU session implies downlink/uplink packets received/transmitted] by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
provide the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function based on receiving the handover complete message.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Prakasam teaches:
provide the uplink data packets associated with the PDU session to a user plane function based on receiving the handover complete message (Prakasam: [0137] … Once the registration procedure is complete, the UE may trigger PDU session establishment to transfer the IMS PDU at 926 [SMF/UPD 910] ... Fig. 9).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Prakasam above in order to provide PDU session handover between cellular and non-cellular access technologies. (Prakasam, ¶ [0009]).
Regarding claim 16, Kawasaki-Prakasam discloses on the features with respect to claim 15 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
enable additional uplink data packets and additional downlink data packets associated with the PDU session to be exchanged between the network device and a data network, via the first device, based on establishing the PDU session (Kawasaki: [0299] Based on the completion of this procedure, the device in access network to which the UE_A 10 connects is changed from the eNB_A 45 to an eNB_B 145. The PDU session established by the UE_A 10 is also changed from the connectivity via the eNB_A 45 to connectivity via the eNB_B 145 ... Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 17, Kawasaki-Prakasam discloses on the features with respect to claim 15 as outlined above.
Prakasam further teaches:
wherein the handover request is triggered by one of the network device or the second device (Prakasam: [0151] ... In some embodiments, the indication from the first RAT RAN to handover the on-going PDU sessions to the second RAT RAN may be based on one or more measurement reports transmitted by the UE to the first RAN, network conditions on the first RAN, and/or network load management between the first RAN and the second RAN).
The rationale and motivation for adding this teaching of Prakasam is the same as the rationale and motivation for Claim 15.
Regarding claim 20, Kawasaki-Prakasam discloses on the features with respect to claim 15 as outlined above.
Kawasaki further teaches:
wherein the second device generates the handover request based on a handover decision (Kawasaki: [0301] ... First, the eNB_A 45 determines to perform the handover procedure, transmits a handover request message to the eNB_B 145, and starts the network-initiated handover procedure (S2400)(S2402). Fig. 19).
Claims 6 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki in view of "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Wireless and wireline convergence access support for the 5G System (5GS) (Release 18)", 3GPP STANDARD; 3GPP TS 23.316, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE ; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES ; F-06921 SOPHIA- ANTIPOLIS CEDEX ; FRANCE no. V18.4.0 19 December 2023 (2023-12-19), pages 1-94, XP052552982, Retrieved from the Internet: URL:https://ftp.3gpp.org/Specs/archive/23 series/23.316/23316-i40.zip 23316-i40.docx [retrieved on 2023-12-19], hereinafter, “3GPP”, in Applicant’s IDS.
Regarding claim 6, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway and the device is an access gateway function.
However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway and the device is an access gateway function (3GPP: [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69] .. This clause specifies how to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access [i.e., residential gateway] to a target W-5GAN access [i.e., access gateway] and how a 5G-RG can handover a PDU Session from 3GPP access to W-5GAN access. It is based on the PDU Session Establishment procedure for W-5GAN access as specified in clause 7.3.1 ... Fig. 7.6.3.2-1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by 3GPP above in order to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access to a target W-5GAN access. (3GPP, ¶ [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69]).
Regarding claim 13, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 8 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway, the first device is a backup access gateway function, and the second device is an active access gateway function.
However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway, the first device is a backup access gateway function, and the second device is an active access gateway function (3GPP: [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69] .. This clause specifies how to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access [i.e., residential gateway] to a target W-5GAN access [i.e., access gateway] and how a 5G-RG can handover a PDU Session from 3GPP access to W-5GAN access. It is based on the PDU Session Establishment procedure for W-5GAN access as specified in clause 7.3.1 ... Fig. 7.6.3.2-1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by 3GPP above in order to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access to a target W-5GAN access. (3GPP, ¶ [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki-Prakasam in view of "3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Wireless and wireline convergence access support for the 5G System (5GS) (Release 18)", 3GPP STANDARD; 3GPP TS 23.316, 3RD GENERATION PARTNERSHIP PROJECT (3GPP), MOBILE COMPETENCE CENTRE ; 650, ROUTE DES LUCIOLES ; F-06921 SOPHIA- ANTIPOLIS CEDEX ; FRANCE no. V18.4.0 19 December 2023 (2023-12-19), pages 1-94, XP052552982, Retrieved from the Internet: URL:https://ftp.3gpp.org/Specs/archive/23 series/23.316/23316-i40.zip 23316-i40.docx [retrieved on 2023-12-19], hereinafter, “3GPP”, in Applicant’s IDS.
Regarding claim 19, Kawasaki-Prakasam discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki-Prakasam does not explicitly teach:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway, the first device is a backup access gateway function, and the second device is an active access gateway function.
However, in the same field of endeavor, 3GPP teaches:
wherein the network device is a dual access residential gateway, the first device is a backup access gateway function, and the second device is an active access gateway function (3GPP: [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69] .. This clause specifies how to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access [i.e., residential gateway] to a target W-5GAN access [i.e., access gateway] and how a 5G-RG can handover a PDU Session from 3GPP access to W-5GAN access. It is based on the PDU Session Establishment procedure for W-5GAN access as specified in clause 7.3.1 ... Fig. 7.6.3.2-1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki-Prakasam to include the features as taught by 3GPP above in order to hand over a 5G-RG from a source 3GPP access to a target W-5GAN access. (3GPP, ¶ [Section 7.6.3.2, Page 69]).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawasaki in view of Jia et.al. (US Patent Application Publication, 20250227577, hereinafter, “Jia”).
Regarding claim 18, Kawasaki discloses on the features with respect to claim 1 as outlined above.
Kawasaki does not explicitly teach:
wherein the first device utilizes one of an Xn application protocol or a next generation application protocol.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Jia teaches:
wherein the first device utilizes one of an Xn application protocol (Jia: [0078] 1. A source gNB initiates handover, and issues a HANDOER REQUEST over an Xn interface. Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Kawasaki to include the features as taught by Jia above in order to improve network throughput. (Jia, ¶ [0016]).
Conclusion
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/LIEM H. NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416