3DETAILED 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 .
Preliminary Amendment Acknowledgement
The Preliminary Amendment filed on 02/06/2024 has been acknowledged and considered by the examiner.
Objection to claim(s)
Claim 7 appears by the current written to only have a preamble and no limitation(s) follow. Correction is required.
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 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) 1, 3-7 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Won et al. (Pub. No. US 2022/0361135) and further in view of Surisetty et al. (Pub. No. US 2021/0329539).
Regarding claim 1. Won teaches a method to monitor the management of network slices by a communication device (ME) said communication device being compliant with at least a technology implementing network slicing using a route selection policy, said method comprising the steps of, for the communication device active in a Registration Area of a network of the technology implementing network slicing, said Registration Area comprising Tracking Areas (Won, the Abstract):
requesting a given slice at the network (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]: a request for S-NSSAI at a network, receiving network slice information and lists of TAI; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]);
receiving from the network a slice status and slice information for the given slice comprising a list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported in the current Registration Area (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]: a request for S-NSSAI at a network, receiving network slice information and lists of TAI; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]); and,
in answer to a polling request from the secure element or in an event-based notification, sending a partially supported slice status and the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported to the secure element (Won, pp [26]-[29], [30]-[31: the AMF may transmit, in a registration accept message to the UE, the following information elements: registration area, allowed NSSAI, rejected NSSAI with cause code per S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI indicating that the S-NSSAI is not supported uniformly in the registration area, and TAI(s) where each of the S-NSSAIs is supported. It is noted that a rejected NSSAI may refer to a NSSAI that is rejected in the registration area or for an entire PLMN).
Won does not teach a USIM.
Surisetty teaches a USIM (Surisetty, pp [47]: the UE comprises a USIM helps it to communicate with the network about its locations and registered information, etc.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Won by incorporating teachings of Surisetty, method and system performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes a USIM which is removable for managing a failure in a registration for accessing a network slice. The method includes sending a registration request message to a first wireless network while the UE is in a tracking area of a registration area, the registration request message including a Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) corresponding to the network slice, receiving a registration reject message from the first wireless network, the registration reject message indicating that the network slice is unavailable in one of the registration area, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), or a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), storing a Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) of the tracking area to a rejected list based on the TAI of the tracking area being included the registration reject message, and establishing a connection with a second wireless network in response to the receiving. Therefore, the method provides robust and reliable communication for the UE including a USIM to receive non interrupted services when roaming in networks.
Regarding claim 6. Won teaches a Communication device (ME) said communication device (ME) being configured to monitor the management of network slices, said communication device (ME) being compliant with at least a technology implementing network slicing using a route selection policy, said communication device (ME) being active in a Registration Area of a network of the technology implementing network slicing, said Registration Area comprising Tracking Areas Won, the Abstract), said communication device (ME) being configured to:
request a given slice at the network, to receive from the network a slice status and slice information for the given slice comprising a list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported in the current Registration Area (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]: a request for S-NSSAI at a network, receiving network slice information and lists of TAI; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]);
in answer to a polling request from the secure element or in an event-based notification, sending a “partially allowed” or “partially rejected” slice status and the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported to the secure element (Won, pp [26]-[29], [30]-[31: the AMF may transmit, in a registration accept message to the UE, the following information elements: registration area, allowed NSSAI, rejected NSSAI with cause code per S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI indicating that the S-NSSAI is not supported uniformly in the registration area, and TAI(s) where each of the S-NSSAIs is supported. It is noted that a rejected NSSAI may refer to a NSSAI that is rejected in the registration area or for an entire PLMN).
Won does not teach a USIM.
Surisetty teaches a USIM (Surisetty, pp [47]: the UE comprises a USIM helps it to communicate with the network about its locations and registered information, etc.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Won by incorporating teachings of Surisetty, method and system performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes a USIM which is removable for managing a failure in a registration for accessing a network slice. The method includes sending a registration request message to a first wireless network while the UE is in a tracking area of a registration area, the registration request message including a Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) corresponding to the network slice, receiving a registration reject message from the first wireless network, the registration reject message indicating that the network slice is unavailable in one of the registration area, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), or a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), storing a Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) of the tracking area to a rejected list based on the TAI of the tracking area being included the registration reject message, and establishing a connection with a second wireless network in response to the receiving. Therefore, the method provides robust and reliable communication for the UE including a USIM to receive non interrupted services when roaming in networks.
Regarding claim 7. A Secure element (USIM) installed in a communication device (ME) configured to monitor the management of network slices said communication device being compliant with at least a technology implementing network slicing using a route selection policy, said secure element being configured to, when the communication device is active in a Registration Area of a network of the technology implementing network slicing, said Registration Area comprising Tracking Areas (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]: a request for S-NSSAI at a network, receiving network slice information and lists of TAI; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]), receive a partially allowed/rejected slice status and slice information comprising a list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported in the current Registration Area (Won, the Abstract, pp [26]-[29], [30]-[31]: the AMF may transmit, in a registration accept message to the UE, the following information elements: registration area, allowed NSSAI, rejected NSSAI with cause code per S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI indicating that the S-NSSAI is not supported uniformly in the registration area, and TAI(s) where each of the S-NSSAIs is supported. It is noted that a rejected NSSAI may refer to a NSSAI that is rejected in the registration area or for an entire PLMN).
Won does not teach a USIM.
Surisetty teaches a USIM (Surisetty, pp [47]: the UE comprises a USIM helps it to communicate with the network about its locations and registered information, etc.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Won by incorporating teachings of Surisetty, method and system performed by a User Equipment (UE) includes a USIM which is removable for managing a failure in a registration for accessing a network slice. The method includes sending a registration request message to a first wireless network while the UE is in a tracking area of a registration area, the registration request message including a Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) corresponding to the network slice, receiving a registration reject message from the first wireless network, the registration reject message indicating that the network slice is unavailable in one of the registration area, a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN), or a Stand-alone Non-Public Network (SNPN), storing a Tracking Area Identifier (TAI) of the tracking area to a rejected list based on the TAI of the tracking area being included the registration reject message, and establishing a connection with a second wireless network in response to the receiving. Therefore, the method provides robust and reliable communication for the UE including a USIM to receive non interrupted services when roaming in networks.
Regarding claim 3. Won, as modified by Surisetty, teaches the method according to claim 1, further comprising the step, for the secure element, to record the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported in the Registration Area where the communication device is registered, said method further comprising the step of, for the communication device, providing an information on the currently used Tracking Area to the secure element, and the step, for the secure element, based on the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported and on an information of the currently used Tracking Area, when the currently used Tracking Area is in the list, performing at least one process associated to the given slice (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]).
Regarding claim 4. Won, as modified by Surisetty, teaches the method according to claim 1, said method comprising the step of, for the secure element, building, a Tracking Area map where the given slice is supported or not supported (Won, the Abstract, pp [26]-[29], [30]-[31]).
Regarding claim 5. Won, as modified by Surisetty, teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported comprises Tracking Areas of the Registration Area where the communication device is registered (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]).
Regarding claim 9. Won, as modified by Surisetty, teaches the secure element according to claim 7, being further configured to record the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported in the Registration Area where the communication device is registered, and, when the communication device provides an information on the currently used Tracking Area to the secure element, to perform at least one process associated to the given slice based on the list of Tracking Areas where the given slice is supported and on an information of the currently used Tracking Area, when the currently used Tracking Area is in the list (Won, Fig. 5A, pp [34]-[36]; Fig. 5B, pp [39]-[42]).
Regarding claim 10. Won, as modified by Surisetty, teaches the secure element according to claim 7, being further configured to build a Tracking Area map where the given slice is supported and not supported (Won, the Abstract, pp [26]-[29], [30]-[31]).
Claim(s) 2 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Won et al. (Pub. No. US 2022/0361135), in view of Surisetty et al. (Pub. No. US 2021/0329539) and further in view of Choi (Pub. No. US 2008/0300017).
Regarding claim 2. Won, as modified by Surisetty, does not teach the method according to claim 1, wherein, the communication device further supporting a USIM application toolkit framework implementing event download envelops, said method comprises a preliminary step, for the secure element, to register to a slice event defined in the USIM application toolkit framework supported by the communication device, the event-based notification using an event download envelop.
Choi teaches “a USIM application toolkit framework implementing event download envelops, said method comprises a preliminary step, for the secure element, to register to a slice event defined in the USIM application toolkit framework supported by the communication device, the event-based notification using an event download envelop.” (Choi, pp [30]-[31]: UE 100 supports the SAT and USAT. As specified in the 3GPP TS 31.111 "USIM" Application Toolkit (USAT) and 3GPP TS 11.14 "Specification of the SIM application Toolkit for the Subscriber Identity Module-Mobile Equipment (SIM-ME) interface and SIM 300 is performed using proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the SAT and USAT standards, and the proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the standards).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Won and Surisetty, by incorporating teachings of Choi, method and system for a user equipment (UE) including a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) using Application Toolkit (USAT) and 3GPP TS 11.14, wherein the SIM stores files associated with a digital broadcast service and a mobile equipment for executing a broadcast application using the files and performed using proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the SAT and USAT standards, and the proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the standards, thus the method eliminates previously required cumbersome user manipulation receiving a pay program by storing the application and files associated with the digital broadcast service.
Regarding claim 8. Won, as modified by Surisetty, does not teach the secure element according to claim 7, wherein, the communication device further supporting a USIM application toolkit framework implementing event download envelops, the secure element is further configured to register to a slice event defined in the USIM application toolkit framework supported by the communication device, the event-based notification using an event download envelop.
Choi teaches “a USIM application toolkit framework implementing event download envelops, said method comprises a preliminary step, for the secure element, to register to a slice event defined in the USIM application toolkit framework supported by the communication device, the event-based notification using an event download envelop.” (Choi, pp [30]-[31]: UE 100 supports the SAT and USAT. As specified in the 3GPP TS 31.111 "USIM" Application Toolkit (USAT) and 3GPP TS 11.14 "Specification of the SIM application Toolkit for the Subscriber Identity Module-Mobile Equipment (SIM-ME) interface and SIM 300 is performed using proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the SAT and USAT standards, and the proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the standards).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Won and Surisetty, by incorporating teachings of Choi, method and system for a user equipment (UE) including a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) using Application Toolkit (USAT) and 3GPP TS 11.14, wherein the SIM stores files associated with a digital broadcast service and a mobile equipment for executing a broadcast application using the files and performed using proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the SAT and USAT standards, and the proactive commands and envelope commands specified in the standards, thus the method eliminates previously required cumbersome user manipulation receiving a pay program by storing the application and files associated with the digital broadcast service.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUY C HO whose telephone number is (571)270-1108. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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/HUY C HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644