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 application has been examined.
Claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Claim Objections
Claims 14 and 15 appear to be duplicates. Applicant is advised that should claim 14 be found allowable, claim 15 will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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)(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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ianev et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2024/0373481; hereinafter Ianev).
Regarding claim 1 Ianev discloses a method comprising:
receiving, by an end device, a network request from an end device application hosted at the end device (paragraphs 0276, 0290, 0292; UL NAS TRANSPORT message encapsulating a PDU Session Establishment Request message);
mapping, by the end device based on the network request, application categories included in user equipment route selection policy (URSP) information (paragraphs 0290-0293; wherein applications are mapped to categories, namely S-NSSAIs, based on the request message);
selecting, by the end device based on the mapping, one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0290-0293; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3);
assigning, by the end device, quality of service (QoS) identifier values for each of the application categories (paragraph 0299; the UE may indicate a Priority parameter related to the compatible S-NSSAI(s) in the UL NAS TRANSPORT message; wherein QoS is given its broadest reasonable interpretation that includes it referring to a set of technologies that work on a network to guarantee its ability to dependably run high-priority applications and traffic under limited network capacity, accomplishing this by providing differentiated handling and capacity allocation to specific flows in network traffic – thus priority parameter is interpreted as such QoS value); and
applying, by the end device, a scheduling algorithm for each of the application categories that are assigned to a same network slice of the one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0299, 0384, 0409-0410; wherein PDU session transmission is performed according to a policy determined by the request message, and priority).
Regarding claim 2 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the end device based on the applying, traffic to an application server during a packet data unit (PDU) session (paragraphs 0297-0300; 0384; PDU session is established, packets communicated via the selected slice(s)).
Regarding claim 3 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: determining, by the end device, whether multiple network slices can be selected based on data included in the network request (paragraphs 0290-0299; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3, and any of these slices can be selected for the PDU session).
Regarding claim 4 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the application categories are indicated in connection capabilities traffic descriptors of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290, 0295, 0298; data network name (DNN) for example).
Regarding claim 5 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the one or multiple network slices are indicated in network slice selection route descriptors of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290-0299; e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3).
Regarding claim 6 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the application categories include two or more application categories that are operator specific (paragraphs 0474-0475; IoT applications).
Regarding claim 7 Ianev discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the network request includes data indicating application categories (paragraphs 0290-0299; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3).
Regarding claim 8 the method of claim 1, wherein the network request includes data indicating application traffic characteristics, and the method further comprises: correlating, by the end device, the application traffic characteristics to the application categories of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290-0299, 0401-0410; data priority level associated with NSSAIs).
Regarding claim 9 Ianev discloses an end device comprising:
a communication interface (fig. 6, transceiver 31); and
a processor (fig. 6, processor 33), wherein the processor is configured to:
receive a network request from an end device application hosted at the end device (paragraphs 0276, 0290, 0292; UL NAS TRANSPORT message encapsulating a PDU Session Establishment Request message);
map, based on the network request, application categories included in user equipment route selection policy (URSP) information (paragraphs 0290-0293; wherein applications are mapped to categories, namely S-NSSAIs, based on the request message);
select, based on the mapping, one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0290-0293; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3);
assign quality of service (QoS) identifier values for each of the application categories (paragraph 0299; the UE may indicate a Priority parameter related to the compatible S-NSSAI(s) in the UL NAS TRANSPORT message; wherein QoS is given its broadest reasonable interpretation that includes it referring to a set of technologies that work on a network to guarantee its ability to dependably run high-priority applications and traffic under limited network capacity, accomplishing this by providing differentiated handling and capacity allocation to specific flows in network traffic – thus priority parameter is interpreted as such QoS value); and
apply a scheduling algorithm for each of the application categories that are assigned to a same network slice of the one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0299, 0384, 0409-0410; wherein PDU session transmission is performed according to a policy determined by the request message, and priority).
Regarding claim 10 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: transmit, based on the applying, traffic to an application server during a packet data unit (PDU) session (paragraphs 0297-0300; 0384; PDU session is established, packets communicated via the selected slice(s)).
Regarding claim 11 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine whether multiple network slices can be selected based on data included in the network request (paragraphs 0290-0299; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3, and any of these slices can be selected for the PDU session).
Regarding claim 12 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the application categories are indicated in connection capabilities traffic descriptors of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290, 0295, 0298; data network name (DNN) for example).
Regarding claim 13 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the one or multiple network slices are indicated in network slice selection route descriptors of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290-0299; e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3).
Regarding claim 14 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the application categories include two or more application categories that are operator specific (paragraphs 0474-0475; IoT applications).
Regarding claim 15 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the application categories include two or more application categories that are operator specific (paragraphs 0474-0475; IoT applications).
Regarding claim 16 Ianev discloses the end device of claim 9, wherein the network request includes data indicating application traffic characteristics, and the processor is further configured to: correlate the application traffic characteristics to the application categories of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290-0299, 0401-0410; data priority level associated with NSSAIs).
Regarding claim 17 Ianev discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor of an end device (paragraph 0513), wherein the instructions are configured to:
receive a network request from an end device application hosted at the end device (paragraphs 0276, 0290, 0292; UL NAS TRANSPORT message encapsulating a PDU Session Establishment Request message);
map, based on the network request, application categories included in user equipment route selection policy (URSP) information (paragraphs 0290-0293; wherein applications are mapped to categories, namely S-NSSAIs, based on the request message);
select, based on the mapping, one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0290-0293; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3);
assign quality of service (QoS) identifier values for each of the application categories (paragraph 0299; the UE may indicate a Priority parameter related to the compatible S-NSSAI(s) in the UL NAS TRANSPORT message; wherein QoS is given its broadest reasonable interpretation that includes it referring to a set of technologies that work on a network to guarantee its ability to dependably run high-priority applications and traffic under limited network capacity, accomplishing this by providing differentiated handling and capacity allocation to specific flows in network traffic – thus priority parameter is interpreted as such QoS value); and
apply a scheduling algorithm for each of the application categories that are assigned to a same network slice of the one or multiple network slices (paragraphs 0299, 0384, 0409-0410; wherein PDU session transmission is performed according to a policy determined by the request message, and priority).
Regarding claim 18 Ianev discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to: transmit, based on the applying, traffic to an application server during a packet data unit (PDU) session (paragraphs 0297-0300; 0384; PDU session is established, packets communicated via the selected slice(s)).
Regarding claim 19 Ianev discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further configured to: determine whether multiple network slices can be selected based on data included in the network request (paragraphs 0290-0299; mapping rules within the URSP rules are mapping the service requiring Application with several network slices, e.g. S-NSSAI-1, S-NSSAI-2, S-NSSAI-3, and any of these slices can be selected for the PDU session).
Regarding claim 20 Ianev discloses the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the application categories are indicated in connection capabilities traffic descriptors of the URSP information (paragraphs 0290, 0295, 0298; data network name (DNN) for example).
Citation of Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPGPUB 2025/0071573 to Daoud et al. – which discloses methods and apparatus for automatically generating network slices, e.g., in accordance with AI machine learned predictions of needs for slices by the network.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Aixa A Guadalupe-Cruz whose telephone number is (571)270-7523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 6AM - 4:00PM.
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/Aixa Guadalupe-Cruz/
Examiner
Art Unit 2466
/FARUK HAMZA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2466