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 .
The office action is in response to response filed 11/14/2025.
Claims 1-12 and 37-39 are pending. Claims 13-36 are cancelled.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group 1 without traverse is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/20/2024, 09/20/2023 and 09/19/2023are 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 § 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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Badar (US 2019/0349209 A1) and Liu (WO 2020/006515).
Regarding claims 1, Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) discloses a method of operation in a wireless communication system, comprising:
registering by a user equipment (UE) over a cellular communications access network using a session initiation protocol (SIP) registration request with an incoming Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session (see page 7, lines 19-28, VoLTE registration includes SIP handshake which includes SIP registration);
triggering by the UE, over an untrusted non-3GPP access network, another IMS registration request (see page 9, lines 22-25, discloses VoWifi registration involving establishing IMS bearer);
transferring by a network node the incoming IMS session to the untrusted access network being accessed by the UE (see page 14, lines 3-12).
Cuevas fails to disclose but Badar (US 2019/0349209 A1) discloses reporting, by the IMS, details of calls availed by the UE through the untrusted access network to a remote server (para. 000054, fig. 4, 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include reporting details of the call as described by Badar.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow accurately creating billing records based on usage.
Cuevas fails to disclose but Liu (WO 2020/006515) discloses wherein the registration request includes requesting an IP address of the UE (see fig. 3, message 1b, discloses obtaining an IP address) and the request comprises an ISP identifier of the untrusted access network (see para. 0068, discloses registration request including AN parameters including the selected network).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include the registration request including requesting an IP address and ISP identifier as described by Liu.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow locating a common AMF for performing communication.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Badar (US 2019/0349209 A1) and Liu (WO 2020/006515) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Cuevas and Liu discloses the method, wherein the registering by the UE with the incoming IMS session comprises:
establishing by a UE over the cellular communications access network, a first Quality of Service QoS flow, for an incoming Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session having QoS requirements, wherein the first QoS flow for the incoming IMS session is associated with a first Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the UE for the cellular communications access network by the IMS in response to the session initiation protocol (SIP) registration request (see Liu: page 7, lines 29-page 8, line 7, discloses associating QoS for particular IP connection).
Cuevas fails to disclose but Sharma discloses confirming subscription to a notification of access change by the network node on behalf of the UE based on a subscription request received from the IMS subsequent to the establishment of the first QoS flow for the incoming IMS session (see para. 0045, discloses subscribing by IMS, P-CSCF, for policy changes such as RAT changes).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include confirming subscription to a notification of access change as described by Sharma.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow recognizing a change and allowing corresponding activities, such as charging function to be implemented correctly.
Regarding claim 3, Cuevas discloses the method wherein the triggering by the UE another IMS registration request comprises: receiving a second IP address assigned to the UE for said the untrusted access network by an interworking function within the network (see page 9, lines 13-18); and triggering by the UE, over the untrusted non-3GPP access network, UN-WLAN, access network, a second IMS registration request with the second IP address of the UE (see page 9, lines 22-25).
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Badar (US 2019/0349209 A1), Liu (WO 2020/006515) and Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1) as applied to claim 3 above, and further in view of Hwang (US 2013/0039337 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Cuevas fails to disclose but Hwang (US 2013/0039337 A1) discloses the method further comprising: in response to the received second IP address of the UE and the ISP identifier, generating by the network node the access change notification for the IMS for initiating establishment of a second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network, the second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session being associated with the second IP address assigned to the UE for the untrusted access network (see fig. 5, step S515-S518, discloses after IP address allocation sending access change notification via eNB to IMS).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include generating by the network node the access change notification as described by Hwang.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow migrating the call from one network to another.
Regarding claim 5, Cuevas discloses the method wherein transferring the incoming IMS session to the untrusted access network comprises: transferring the incoming IMS session from the first IP address of the UE associated with the first QoS bearer or QoS flow established for the incoming IMS session over the cellular communications access network to the second IP address of the UE associated with the second QoS bearer or QoS flow established for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network (see fig. 3-4, page 9, lines 8-18, discloses transferring the IMS session from LTE IP address to WiFi IP address).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Cuevas and Badar discloses the method, wherein the reporting by the IMS comprises: locating the remote server by the IMS based on the ISP identifier through an internet gateway, said the remote server corresponding to an internet service provider associated with the untrusted access network (para. 0067-0068, discloses receiving various information including access network and visited network information, contacting the server and providing session information); and reporting details related to one or more mobile originated (MO) or mobile terminated (MT) calls availed by the UE through the untrusted access network to the remote server (see Id.).
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Badar (US 2019/0349209 A1), Liu (WO 2020/006515), Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1) and Hwang (US 2013/0039337 A1) as applied to claim 4 above, and further in view of Foti (WO 2019/197872 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Cuevas fails to disclose but Foti (WO 2019/197872 A1) discloses the method wherein initiating establishment of the second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network comprises sending, over the cellular communications access network the SIP message that initiates establishment of the second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network (see page 2, lines 16-page 3, line 19, see also page 27, lines 9-32).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include sending the SIP message that initiates establishment of the second QoS bearer.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow notifying the IMS network of the capability of dual network connection.
Claims 8-10, 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Liu (WO 2020/006515) and Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Cuevas discloses the method of operation of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
registering by a UE over a cellular communications access network using a session initiation protocol (SIP) registration request with an incoming Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session (see page 7, lines 19-28, VoLTE registration includes SIP handshake which includes SIP registration);
triggering by the UE, over an untrusted non-3GPP access network, UN-WLAN, access network, another IMS registration request (see page 9, lines 22-25, discloses VoWifi registration involving establishing IMS bearer); and
achieving a transfer of the incoming IMS session from the cellular communications access network to the untrusted access network (see page 14, lines 3-12).
Cuevas fails to disclose but Liu (WO 2020/006515) discloses wherein the registration request includes requesting an IP address of the UE (see fig. 3, message 1b, discloses obtaining an IP address) and the request comprises an ISP identifier of the access network(see para. 0068, discloses registration request including AN parameters including the selected network).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include the registration request including requesting an IP address and ISP identifier as described by Liu.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow locating a common AMF for performing communication.
Cuevas fails to disclose but Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1) discloses enabling generation of a notification of an access change by a policy control function (PCF) based on the trigger from the UE, the notification directed to the IMS based on the IP address of the UE and the ISP identifier for initiating establishment of the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network (see para. 0045, discloses subscribing by IMS, P-CSCF, for policy changes such as RAT changes).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include enabling generation of a notification of an access change by a policy control function (PCF) based on the trigger from the UE as described by Sharma.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow recognizing a change and allowing corresponding activities, such as charging function to be implemented correctly.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Cuevas and Liu discloses the method wherein registering by the UE with the incoming IMS session comprises: establishing over the cellular communications access network, a first Quality of Service QoS flow, for an incoming Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) session having QoS requirements, wherein the first QoS flow for the incoming IMS session is associated with a first Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the UE for the cellular communications access network by the IMS in response to the session initiation protocol (SIP) registration request (see Liu: page 7, lines 29-page 8, line 7, discloses associating QoS for particular IP connection).
Regarding claim 10, 37, Cuevas discloses the method wherein the triggering by the UE another IMS registration request comprises: receiving a second IP address assigned to the UE for said the untrusted access network by an interworking function within the network (see page 9, lines 13-18); and triggering by the UE, over the untrusted non-3GPP access network, UN-WLAN, access network, a second IMS registration request with the second IP address of the UE (see page 9, lines 22-25).
Claims 11-12, 38-39 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cuevas (WO 2019/141623 A1) in view of Liu (WO 2020/006515) and Sharma (US 2021/0058435 A1) as applied to claim 10, 37 above, and further in view of Hwang (US 2013/0039337 A1).
Regarding claims 11, 38, Curvas fails to disclose but Hwang discloses he method wherein the enabling generation comprises: enabling generation of a notification of an access change by the UE directed to the IMS based on the second IP address of the UE and the ISP identifier for initiating establishment of a second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network, the second QoS bearer or QoS flow for the incoming IMS session being associated with the second IP address assigned to the UE for the untrusted access network (see Hwang: fig. 5, step S515-S518, discloses after IP address allocation sending access change notification via eNB to IMS).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify to include generating by the network node the access change notification as described by Hwang.
The motivation for doing so would be to allow migrating the call from one network to another.
Regarding claims 12, 39, Cuevas discloses the method, wherein the achieving the transfer of the incoming IMS session comprises: achieving the transfer of the incoming IMS session from the first IP address of the UE associated with the first QoS bearer or QoS flow established for the incoming IMS session over the cellular communications access network to the second IP address of the UE associated with the second QoS bearer or QoS flow established for the incoming IMS session over the untrusted access network (see fig. 3-4, page 9, lines 8-18, discloses transferring the IMS session from LTE IP address to WiFi IP address).
Conclusion
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NISHANT B. DIVECHA
Supervisory Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419