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 .
This Office Action is in response to initial filing on 09/26/2023.
Claim 1- 18 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 09/26/2023. These drawings are reviewed and accepted by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/26/2023 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 § 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)(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.
(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 1-4, 6, 7, 9-12, 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by applicant’s submission of prior art Hongmei et al (CN112153719).
Regarding claim 1, Hongmei discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by a user equipment (UE) (Figure 3, 300 user equipment), active service time information of a first network (the bandwidth corresponding to the temporary network slice can be adjusted in real time … in the event venue during the duration of the event and the types of services actually used by the users, [0041]; The receiving module 201 is configured to receive a notification message sent by an access and mobility management function AMF entity, [0051]), the active service time information indicating an expiration time of operation of the first network or a service (e.g., temporary network slice) provided by the first network (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, and the end time of the temporary network slice may be later than the end time of the activity duration, [0046]; For example, after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer may be started. When the timer expires, the temporary network slice can be removed, [0047]); and
determining, by the UE, whether to select the first network for access based on the active service time information (The sending module 202 is configured to send an access request for an unsigned temporary network slice to the 5G terminal so that the user can choose whether to access the temporary network slice, [0052]) and a network selection policy (users have different functional requirements, such as policy, [0002]), the network selection policy comprising information indicating one or more requirements that are based on network active service time (and users have different performance requirements, such as policy [0002]).
Regarding claim 2, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the active service time information comprises one or more of following: an operation duration of the first network, a remaining operation time of the first network, an operation starting time of the first network, an operation ending time of the first network, a notification of an end of the operation of the first network, a counter value reduced by a pre-defined number at a pre-defined interval, a service operation duration of the service (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, and the end time of the temporary network slice may be later than the end time of the activity duration, [0046]), a starting time of the service (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, [0046]), a remaining service operation time of the service, an ending time of the service, or a service notification of an end of the service.
Regarding claim 3, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the network selection policy specifies that a network is selectable by the UE when the network satisfies the one or more requirements (users have different functional requirements, such as priority, charging, policy control, security, mobility, etc., [0002]).
Regarding claim 4, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the one or more requirements comprise: a minimum remaining operation time required for a network selectable by the UE (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, and the end time of the temporary network slice may be later than the end time of the activity duration, [0046]), or a restriction on starting and ending time of operation of the network selectable by the UE.
Regarding claim 6, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: upon determining to access the first network, setting, by the UE, a timer according to the expiration time of the operation of the first network or the service (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, and the end time of the temporary network slice may be later than the end time of the activity duration, [0046]); and accessing, by the UE, the first network for a first service according to the timer (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, [0046]).
Regarding claim 7, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 6, further comprising: terminating, by the UE, the first service with the first network when or before the timer expires (For example, after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer may be started. When the timer expires, the temporary network slice can be removed, [0047]).
Regarding claim 9, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 6, further comprising: requesting, by the UE, to extend an expiration time of the first service for the UE (the start time of the temporary network slice may be earlier than the start time of the activity duration, and the end time of the temporary network slice may be later than the end time of the activity duration to ensure the network experience of the user when participating in the activity, [0046]).
Regarding claim 10, Hongmei discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the UE, updated active service time information of the first network (adjusting the bandwidth corresponding to the temporary network slice in real time according to the number of users, [0009]).
Claim 11 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. (Hongmei, “ The invention provides a communication method,” Abstract).
Claim 12 contains subject matter similar to claim 2, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 14 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. (Hongmei, “computer-readable storage medium on which computer program instructions are stored, instructions are executed by a processor,”).
Claim 15 contains subject matter similar to claim 2, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 16 contains subject matter similar to claim 4, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 17 contains subject matter similar to claim 6, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
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.
Claims 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hongmei in view of Peirong (CN112243243).
Regarding claim 5, Hongmei does not expressly discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the network selection policy is received by the UE in a UE parameter update (UPU) message, a UE configuration update (UCU) message, or a control message for network selection configuration.
However, Peirong discloses the network selection policy is received by the UE in a UE parameter update (UPU) message, a UE configuration update (UCU) message, or a control message for network selection configuration (a network slice selection policy … and the network slice selection policy is added to the user routing selection policy URSP, and a configuration update response is returned to the AMF entity to confirm the completion of the configuration update, [0030]).
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Hongmei with the teachings in Peirong, the rationale being to ensure network efficiency and service continuity based on policy changes.
Claim 13 contains subject matter similar to claim 5, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claims 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hongmei in view of Ke (11570667).
Regarding claim 8, Hongmei does not expressly disclose method of claim 6, further comprising: initiating, by the UE before the timer expires, a service continuity procedure to move the first service from the first network to a second network.
However, Ke discloses initiating, by the UE before the timer expires, a service continuity procedure to move the first service from the first network to a second network (when the terminal moves out of coverage of the first network or a signal quality of the first network is no longer sufficient for access, for the continuity of the related service, performing handover to the second network that is able to support the related service, col. 10, ll. 5-10).
It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Hongmei with the teachings in Ke, the rationale being to ensure and maintain the continuity of the related service in an efficient and secure manner.
Claim 18 contains subject matter similar to claim 8, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIO R PEREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7846. The examiner can normally be reached 10Am - 6PM EST M-F.
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/JULIO R PEREZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644