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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-8, 10-13, 15-17, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20220330022 A1 herein Kolekar.
Claim 1, Kolekar discloses A method (procedures performed by devices for registration and deregistration), comprising:
receiving, from a first mobility management network element, a first message carrying first information (0276-0278, context transfer from old AMF to new AMF), wherein the first information comprises onboarding indication information or time information of a first deregistration timer on the first mobility management network element (0275-0278, onboarding information, UE Context, SUPI, etc.);
starting, based on the first information, a second deregistration timer (0278, deregister timer); and
triggering, when the second deregistration timer expires, a deregistration procedure to deregister a terminal device from a network (0103, the AMF deregisters the UE upon expiry of the timer).
Claim 2, Kolekar discloses the method of claim 1, wherein when the first information comprises the onboarding indication information, the onboarding indication information indicates that the terminal device is performing onboarding registration, or indicates that the terminal device is registered for onboarding (0276-0278, onboarding registration information).
Claim 4, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Kolekar discloses determining that a second mobility management network element supports onboarding (0078, list of onboarding networks).
Claim 5, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 2.
Claim 6, Kolekar discloses the method of claim 4, wherein determining that thecomprises determining, based on local configuration information, that the second mobility management network element supports onboarding (0083, list of onboarding networks and provisioning of the UE, thus local configuration).
Claim 7, Kolekar discloses The method of claim 4, wherein determining that thea terminal device is performing onboarding registration, or indicates that the terminal device is registered for onboarding; and selecting, based on the onboarding indication information, the second mobility management network element (0273-0275, AMF selected based on onboarding indication provided).
8. (Currently Amended) The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the second mobility management network element comprises selecting, based on the onboarding indication information and a local configuration, the second mobility management network element (0273-0275, AMF selected based on onboarding indication provided; 0083, list of onboarding networks and provisioning of the UE, thus local configuration).
Claim 10, Kolekar discloses The method of claim 7, wherein obtaining the onboarding indication information comprises obtaining the onboarding indication information from a user equipment (UE) context (0278, Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer with SUPI, etc.).
Claim 11, Kolekar discloses The method of claim 10, wherein before obtaining the onboarding indication information, the method further comprises: obtaining, from an N2 message or an N14 message or based on a registration type of standalone non-public network (SNPN) onboarding (0069, onboarding server obtains UE credentials and onboarding indications), the onboarding indication information (0069, onboarding information sent to the onboarding server); and storing the onboarding indication information in the UE context (0070-0071, saved credentials of the UE are provisioned for onboarding, thus storing information in the UE context).
Claim 12, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 1. Kolekar discloses An apparatus, comprising: a memory configured to store instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions (0054, memory, instructions (software/firmware) and processor).
Claim 13, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 2.
Claim 15, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claims 1 and 12.
Claim 16, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 6.
Claim 17, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 7.
Claim 19, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 10.
Claim 20, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 11.
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) 3, 9, 14 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kolekar in view of US 20240267869 A1 herein Nayak.
Claim 3, Kolekar discloses the method of claim 1. Kolekar discloses AMFs, i.e. Network Functions (NFs). Kolekar may not explicitly disclose further comprising: sending, to a network repository network element, a first request message, wherein the first request message requests to register identification information and onboarding capability information that are of a second mobility management network element in the network repository network element, or the first request message requests to update the identification information and the onboarding capability information; and receiving, from the network repository network element, a first response message indicating that the network repository network element has accepted the first request message.
Nayak discloses sending, to a network repository network element, a first request message, wherein the first request message requests to register identification information and onboarding capability information that are of a second mobility management network element in the network repository network element, or the first request message requests to update the identification information and the onboarding capability information (Abstract, sending profile to the NRF from a network function, in order to register it's capabilities; 0024, capabilities of onboarding); and receiving, from the network repository network element, a first response message indicating that the network repository network element has accepted the first request message (0024, response with query result). 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 Kolekar to include registering of network functions with the NRF as taught by Nayak so as to reduce onboarding failures (0039).
Claim 14, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 3.
Claim 9, Kolekar discloses The method of claim 7. Kolekar may not explicitly disclose wherein selecting the second mobility management network element comprises: sending, to a network repository network element, a second request message, wherein the second request message carries the onboarding indication information, and wherein the second request message requests to search the network repository network element for first instance information of a mobility management network element supporting onboarding; receiving, from the network repository network element, the second request message carrying the first instance information, wherein the first instance information comprises second instance information of the second mobility management network element; and selecting, from the first instance information, the second mobility management network element.
Nayak discloses wherein selecting the second mobility management network element comprises: sending, to a network repository network element, a second request message (0024, 0025, discovery message sent to the NRF based on onboarding SMF), wherein the second request message carries the onboarding indication information (0025, based on SMF onboarding), and wherein the second request message requests to search the network repository network element for first instance information of a mobility management network element supporting onboarding (0024, 0025, the discovery message is a essentially a query, since the NRF provides an SMF that supports onboarding); receiving, from the network repository network element, the second request message carrying the first instance information, wherein the first instance information comprises second instance information of the second mobility management network element (0024, 0025, NRF provides SMFs that support onboarding and also DNN with S-NSSAI); and selecting, from the first instance information, the second mobility management network element (0024, 0025, selecting SMF based on results returned from NRF). 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 Kolekar to include registering of network functions with the NRF as taught by Nayak so as to reduce onboarding failures (0039).
Claim 18, as analyzed with respect to the limitations as discussed in claim 9.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20190174449 A1 - Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for indicating local area data network (LADN) data network names (DNNs). In embodiments, a user equipment (UE) provides a list of configured LADN DNNs in a registration request message during a registration procedure. An Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) determines LADN information for the UE by looking into configured LADN DNNs in the AMF and/or retrieved LADN authorization/subscription information. The LADN information includes a list of LADN DNNs and corresponding LADN service area(s) that the UE can use, including LADN DNNs that the UE can use in a current registration area. The AMF sends the LADN information to the UE in a registration accept message. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Mehmood B. Khan whose telephone number is (571)272-9277. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nishant Divecha can be reached at (571) 270-3125. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Mehmood B. Khan/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2419
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