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
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted was filed after the mailing date. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 12 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claim recites a signal per se.
Claim 12 recites “a computer-readable storage medium” and comprises “a computer program or instructions” but does not indicate this as being “non-transitory.” The specification discloses example embodiments of the “computer-readable storage medium” but does not expressly indicate that the medium is non-transitory. Applicant must specify in the claim that a “non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.”
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 8-9, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. (“Yu”) (CN 110933623 A, cited in Applicant’s IDS) in view of Lee (US 20220255830 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yu teaches:
A communication method performed by an access network device, comprising: receiving first request information, device identification information of user equipment, and registration information of the user equipment [page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE, device identification, request information)], wherein the first request information is used to request a registration procedure of the user equipment [page 27-30 S1401-1402 UE request includes registration information “the UE registration request can be carried in SUCI (or -- 5G-GUTI), PLMN ID and Registrationrequest PDU, such as Registration Request PDU is the information content sent to the core network by the UE”]; establishing a correspondence between an identifier ID of the user equipment and an IP address of an element management system EMS based on the first request information and the device identification information of the user equipment [page 27-30, Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request thus establishes a correspondence by corresponding the received message with UE ID to the EMS that it sends the message to, and the claim does not further describe this correspondence thus sending a message to the EMS is considered the correspondence]; and sending the first request information, the registration information of the user equipment, and an identifier of the access network device to the EMS [page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request].
Yu teaches cell identity but no an IP address however Lee shows that cell ID could include IP address of the access network device [¶0040].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the cell ID includes the base station IP address. Yu teaches sending cell identity information and it would have been obvious to specify this could be the cell IP address as in Lee as it would have been a simple substitution to replace the unspecified cell identity with IP address which Lee shows can identify the cell in the same way ¶0040.
Regarding claim 2, see similar rejection fort claim 9 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding step.
Regarding claim 5, Yu teaches:
A communication method performed by an element management system EMS comprising: receiving first request information, registration information of user equipment, and an internet protocol IP address of an access network device [page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request], wherein the first request information is used to request a registration procedure of the user equipment [page 27-30 S1401-1402, registration request of UE]; and registering the user equipment based on the first request information [page 27-30, RMNF accepts UE registration 1408-1414 Figure 14].
Yu teaches cell identity but no an IP address however Lee shows that cell ID could include IP address of the access network device [¶0040].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the cell ID includes the base station IP address. Yu teaches sending cell identity information and it would have been obvious to specify this could be the cell IP address as in Lee as it would have been a simple substitution to replace the unspecified cell identity with IP address which Lee shows can identify the cell in the same way ¶0040.
Regarding claim 8,Yu teaches:
A communication apparatus, comprising: a memory storing program instructions; and a processor connected to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute the program instructions to perform operations including [Figure 14 RRC network device]: receiving first request information, device identification information of user equipment, and registration information of the user equipment [page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE, device identification, request information)], wherein the first request information is used to request a registration procedure of the user equipment [page 27-30, S1401-1402 UE request includes registration information “the UE registration request can be carried in SUCI (or -- 5G-GUTI), PLMN ID and Registrationrequest PDU, such as Registration Request PDU is the information content sent to the core network by the UE”]; establishing a correspondence between an identifier ID of the user equipment and an IP address of an element management system EMS based on the first request information and the device identification information of the user equipment [page 27-30, Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request thus establishes a correspondence by corresponding the received message with UE ID to the EMS that it sends the message to, and the claim does not describe this correspondence thus sending a message to the EMS is considered the correspondence]; and sending the first request information, the registration information of the user equipment, and an identifier of the access network device to the EMS [page 27-30, Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request].
Yu teaches cell identity but no an IP address however Lee shows that cell ID could include IP address of the access network device [¶0040].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the cell ID includes the base station IP address. Yu teaches sending cell identity information and it would have been obvious to specify this could be the cell IP address as in Lee as it would have been a simple substitution to replace the unspecified cell identity with IP address which Lee shows can identify the cell in the same way ¶0040.
Regarding claim 9, Yu-Lee teaches:
The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the first request information, the device identification information of user equipment, and the registration information of the user equipment by receiving registration information of the user equipment [Yu page 27-30, Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE)] that includes any one of the following: encapsulated registration information of the user equipment [Yu page 27-30, 5G-GUTI, Registrationrequest PDU considered encapsulated registration information], information element parameter information of the user equipment, or an information element parameter container of the user equipment.
Regarding claim 12, see similar rejection fort claim 8 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding step.
Claim(s) 4, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. (“Yu”) (CN 110933623 A) in view of Lee (US 20220255830 A1) and Cha et al. (“Cha”) (US 20170055314 A1).
Regarding claim 4, see similar rejection fort claim 9 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding step.
Regarding claim 11, Yu-Lee teaches:
The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations including: receiving uplink user equipment management data from the user equipment by [Yu page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI, PLMN IDs (user equipment management data}]; sending the uplink user equipment management data to the EMS based on the correspondence between the ID of the user equipment and the IP address of the EMS [Yu page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI and PLMN information]; receiving downlink user equipment management data from the EMS; and sending the downlink user equipment management data to the user equipment [Yu page 27-30 Figure 14, 1412-1414 “RNMF network element (EMS) receives the UE registration acceptance message […] and sending Nrnmf-Communication-N1MessageNotify to the RRC network element (access network device) through the C1 interface […] RRC element sends the UE registration to the UE via the PDCP-C network element and DU network accept message (UEregistration Access-accept).”].
Yu teaches signaling to and from UE but does not teach SRB.
Cha teaches uplink and downlink using a signal radio bearer SRB [¶0031, ¶0092-94].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify SRB for transferring messages as in Cha who teaches ¶0022 SRB is part of the two radio bearers allocated for RRC connections including SRB and DRB thus making this an obvious combination of prior art elements according to known techniques.
Claim(s) 3, 6, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. (“Yu”) (CN 110933623 A) in view of Lee (US 20220255830 A1) and Yang et al. (“Yang”) (WO 2018009340 A1).
Regarding claim 3, see similar rejection fort claim 10 which teaches the physical structure performing the corresponding step.
Regarding claim 6, Yu-Lee teaches:
The method according to claim 5, wherein the receiving the first request information, the registration information of user equipment, and the internet protocol IP address of an access network device includes receiving an IP address of a control plane, CP [Yu Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives from DU and includes PDCP-C control plane see Figure 2 RAN 1, and RRC sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request, ¶0040 of Lee teaches IP address].
Yu teaches base station but not a central unit–control plane CU-CP.
Yang teaches a central unit–control plane CU-CP [Figure 5m gNB includes CU-CP communicating with UE and 5GC].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the base station including the CU-CP and thus the IP address is that of the CU-CP as in Yang who teaches functional separation of DU and CU-CP is part of the NR architecture ¶0021 to relieve deign pressures.
Regarding claim 10, Yu-Lee teaches:
The communication apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the access network device comprises a control plane CP and a distributed unit DU [page 27-30, Figure 14, DU and RRC element with PDCP-C corresponding to control plane see Figure 2, RAN1] wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations including:
receiving, by the DU, the first request information, the device identification information of the user equipment, and the registration information of the user equipment from the user equipment; sending, by the DU, a first transfer message to the CU-CP, wherein the first transfer message comprises the first request information, the device identification information of the user equipment, and the registration information of the user equipment [Yu, page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE) via DU element thus via transfer message sent by DU which receives registration and identity information from UE]; establishing, by the CP, the correspondence between the ID of the user equipment and the IP address of the EMS based on the first request information and the device identification information of the user equipment [Yu, page 27-30 Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request thus establishes a correspondence by corresponding the received message with UE ID to the EMS that it sends the message to, and the claim does not describe this correspondence thus sending a message to the EMS is considered the correspondence]; and sending, by the CP, the first request information, the registration information of the user equipment, and an IP address of the CP to the EMS [Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) sends to RMNF (EMS) a “Nrnmf-Communication-UEMessageTransfer” with 5G-GUTI (registration information of a UE), cell identification / cell id, and PLMN ID with registration request, the Cell ID may be IP address of base station].
Yu teaches base station but not a central unit–control plane CU-CP.
Yang teaches the access network device comprises a central unit–control plane CU-CP, [Figure 5, ¶0040-43, shows DU receiving attach request from UE, step 3, forwarding in transfer message to CU-CP in step 4, the CU-CP forwarding initial message to 5GC step 11, and receiving accept from 5GC at CU-CP, thus it is clear the messaging flow like that of Yu can be carried out in the same via DU to CU-CP routing].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the base station including the CU-CP and thus the IP address is that of the CU-CP as in Yang who teaches functional separation of DU and CU-CP is part of the NR architecture ¶0021 to relieve deign pressures.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu et al. (“Yu”) (CN 110933623 A) in view of Lee (US 20220255830 A1) and Shuai et al. (“Shuai”) (WO 2012106896 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Yu-Lee teaches:
The method according to claim 5, wherein the method further comprises: receiving uplink user equipment management data from the access network device [Yu Figure 14, S1401-1402, RRC network element (access network device) receives registration request from UE with 5G-GUTI, PLMN IDs (user equipment management data}]; recording an ID of the access network device [page 13-15 “It can be understood that, the first wireless network management function network element receives the first registration instruction sent by the first network element, then in order to ensure normal operation of the subsequent communication service, information can also be by analyzing the first registration instruction, obtaining the first registration request carries the information of the first access network element, and storing the first access network element”]; performing a user equipment management service based on the uplink user equipment management data; and sending downlink user equipment management data to the access network device based on the correspondence between the ID of the user equipment and the ID of the access network device [“S1412, RNMF network element receives the UE registration acceptance message, can be analyzed and recorded to the context of the UE, and may specifically include the newly allocated 5G-TURI, Handover restriction List, UE-AMBR and AMF ID and the position area information of the AMF network service stored in the UE context, and sending Nrnmf-Communication-N1MessageNotify to the RRC network element through the C1 interface” corresponding to “user equipment management service” and “sending downlink user equipment management data to the access network device”)].
Yu teaches storing access point ID but not the correspondence however Shuai teaches a correspondence between an identifier ID of the user equipment and recording an ID of the user equipment and the ID of the access network device [Page 12-14 teaches a network device with processor 602“The processor 602 is configured to determine, according to the identifier of the UE, that the UE is registered in the cell of the first radio access network, […] Further, the device further includes a memory; a memory, configured to store a correspondence between an identifier of the UE and a cell of the first radio access network to which the UE has been registered”].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify recording the correspondence as in Shuai as this is an obvious combination of prior art elements according to known techniques in order to make decisions regarding PS services for the UE in a cell page 12-14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. KR-20110105596-A.
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/JAY L VOGEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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