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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/21/26 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The applicant has amended the following:
Claims: 1 and 21 have been amended.
Claims: 2-7, 22-27 and 30 have not been amended.
Claims: 10-20 have been cancelled.
Claims: 8-9, 28-29 and 31 have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7, 21-27 and 30 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-7, 21-22, 24-27 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu et al. (US Patent Publication 2024/0022469 herein after referenced as Hu) in view of Yoden (US Patent Publication 2021/0212168 herein after referenced as Yoden).
Regarding claim 1 and claim 21, Hu discloses:
An Edge Configuration Server (ECS) information processing method, comprising: and A Session Management Function (SMF), comprising: a transceiver, a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executed by the processor, upon executed by the processor, the program being configured to realize an Edge Configuration Server (ECS) information processing method, the method comprising: determining, by a Session Management Function (SMF), first ECS configuration information (Hu, [0527] discloses the V-SMF may further include, in the third information, address information of an ECS (i.e. reads on first ECS configuration information) that is determined (i.e. reads on determining) by the V-SMF (i.e. reads on by a SMF) and that supports serving the terminal apparatus and identification information of a PLMN corresponding to the address information; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0208] discloses as shown in Fig. 6, a specific process of determining the edge configuration server includes step 601 to step 607; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0216] discloses step 605: the V-SMF determines, based on a local configuration, a location of the terminal apparatus, and/or the subscription information of the terminal apparatus, an ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus; Hu, [0142] discloses the edge configuration server ECS; Hu, [0144] discloses a session management function SMF; Hu, [0169] discloses the terminal apparatus may include a UE; Hu, [0548] discloses the processing module may be a processor or a controller, the communication module may be a transceiver and the storage module may be a memory; Hu, [0565] discloses the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or a part of the procedures or functions according to embodiments of this application are generated and the computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that it is inherent for a complex device such as the SMF to include a processor, transceiver and memory storing instructions in order to be able to perform the disclosed functionalities).
in accordance with information about a service range of an ECS, (Hu, Fig. 13B & [0282] discloses For the scenario in FIG. 13B, the terminal apparatus is currently in the roaming state, and the terminal apparatus is located in the VPLMN 1. That is, the PLMN currently accessed by the terminal apparatus is the VPLMN 1. With reference to Table 4(a) (i.e. reads on in accordance with information about a service range of an ECS), determined edge configuration servers corresponding to the identification information of the PLMN currently accessed by the terminal apparatus are the ECS 1-1 and the ECS 2. The core network element may determine (i.e. reads on determining) either of the ECS 1-1 and the ECS 2 as the first edge configuration server (i.e. reads on first ECS configuration information); Hu, Fig. 13B & [0276] & Table 4(a) discloses With reference to a scenario shown in FIG. 13B, in an example, when the terminal apparatus currently accesses the VPLMN 1, a correspondence between the address information of the ECS in the second information and the identification information of the PLMN corresponding to the address information is shown in Table 4(a) and Fig. 13B & Table 4(a) shows the address information of ECS 1-1 corresponds to identification information of both HPLMN and VPLMN1 (i.e. reads on service range); Hu, Fig. 13A & [0272]-[0273] discloses With reference to a scenario shown in FIG. 13A, in an example, when the terminal apparatus currently accesses the VPLMN 1, a correspondence between the address information of the ECS in the second information and the identification information of the PLMN corresponding to the address information is shown in Table 3 and discloses It may be learned with reference to Table 3 that, because the ECS 1-1 can visit and/or manage only the EES 1-1, but cannot visit the EES 1-2 and the EES 1-3, in the second information shown in Table 3, the address information of the ECS 1-1 is corresponding only to the identification information of the HPLMN, indicating that the ECS in the HPLMN can visit and/or manage only the EES in the HPLMN. The ECS 1-3 and the ECS 3 in FIG. 13A are ECSs in another VPLMN, and do not support serving the terminal; Hu, [0244] discloses In this embodiment of this application, an example in which the mobile network is a PLMN is used for description and Edge configuration server information includes identification information of the first edge configuration server and identification information of the at least one mobile network corresponding to the first edge configuration server. The edge configuration server information may be used as second information, or may be included in the second information. The identification information may be an identifier or address information, or may be other information that may indicate the edge configuration server; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0218] discloses the V-SMF determines, based on the local configuration, the location of the terminal apparatus, and the subscription information of the terminal apparatus, the ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus. Specific information that is in the foregoing information and that is used to determine the ECS is determined based on actual situation. This is not limited in this embodiment of this application; Hu, [0413] discloses The subscription information of the terminal apparatus includes second information. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize based on the combination of the cited teachings together as a whole that the subscription information of the terminal being utilized by the SMF to determine the ECS and its corresponding ECS address would include second information that includes the ECS address of the ECS and its corresponding service range of PLMNs where service is supported).
wherein the first ECS configuration information comprises at least one of an address of the ECS, (Hu, Fig. 6 & [0219] discloses step 606: the V-SMF sends, to the terminal apparatus, address information of the ECS (i.e. reads on first ECS configuration information comprises an address of the ECS) that supports serving the terminal apparatus. EXAMINER’S NOTE: The examiner notes that the claims are written in an alternative limitation format requiring and contingent on the selection of only one of various alternative options presented and as such the non-selected alternative options are crossed out (i.e. the limitations reciting “the service range of the ECS, or attribute information about the ECS”) and are not given patentable weight as being directed towards limitations that are not required to be performed as is indicated in MPEP 2143.03 that recites “Language that suggests or makes a feature or step optional but does not require that feature or step does not limit the scope of a claim under the broadest reasonable claim interpretation. In addition, when a claim requires selection of an element from a list of alternatives, the prior art teaches the element if one of the alternatives is taught by the prior art” and in MPEP 2111.04, Section ll that recites “The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition precedent are not met”).
wherein the service range of the ECS comprises a listor more services provided by the ECS (Hu, Fig. 13B & [0276] & Table 4(a) discloses With reference to a scenario shown in FIG. 13B, in an example, when the terminal apparatus currently accesses the VPLMN 1, a correspondence between the address information of the ECS in the second information and the identification information of the PLMN corresponding to the address information is shown in Table 4(a) and Fig. 13B & Table 4(a) shows the address information of ECS 1-1 corresponds to identification information of both HPLMN and VPLMN1 (i.e. reads on service range of the ECS comprises a list of one or more services provided by the ECS); Hu, [0130] discloses The terminal apparatus roams to another country, and the terminal apparatus accesses a network through a PLMN for example, an operator B of the another country to obtain a service; Hu, [0134] discloses For example, the ECS may be deployed in the EDN, a data network DN, or a PLMN; Hu, [0258] discloses In the following embodiment, address information of an ECS is used as identification information for description, and identification information of a PLMN corresponding to the address information may also be understood as identification information of a PLMN corresponding to the ECS).
Hu discloses performing a process of determining an edge server based on a comparison between the service area of the edge server and the current location of a mobile device but fails to explicitly recite the service area comprising a plurality of longitude and latitude and therefore fails to disclose “wherein the service range of the ECS comprises a list of longitudes and latitudes of one or more services provided by the ECS.”
In a related field of endeavor, Yoden discloses:
wherein the service range of the ECS comprises a list of longitudes and latitudes of one or more services provided by the ECS (Yoden, Fig. 5A & [0232] discloses Each MEC name 50a may be associated with a coverage area e.g. service area 50c (i.e. reads on wherein the service range) of a MEC service provided (i.e. reads on one or more services provided by the ECS) by a corresponding MEC server 300 (i.e. reads on of the ECS) represented by the MEC name 50a. The coverage area 50c may be indicative of one or more cell IDs e.g., eNB ID in the 4G system or gNB ID in the 5G system that respectively identify one or more BSes 12 of which coverage area corresponds to the coverage area of the MEC service. In other words, the coverage area 50c may be indicative of one or more cell IDs of one or more BSes 12 connected to the edge site ES to which the corresponding MEC server 300 belongs or one or more BSes 12 in the RAN 10 connected to the CN 11 in which the edge site ES is formed. Alternatively or in addition, the coverage area 50c (i.e. reads on wherein the service range of the ECS) may be indicative of a group of coordinates (i.e. reads on comprises a list of longitudes and latitudes) e.g., geographical coordinates obtained by GNSS, coordinates obtained by IPS, etc. locating the service area of the MEC service. In other words, the coverage area 50c may be indicative of a group of coordinates that locate the coverage are of one or more BSes 12 connected to the edge site ES to which the corresponding MEC server 300 belongs or one or more BSes 12 in the RAN 10 connected to the CN 11 in which the edge site ES is formed. Each coordinate may be represented by the latitude and longitude (i.e. reads on longitude and latitude) to identify the location horizontally. The altitude may also be added to each coordinate to identify the location both horizontally and vertically. Alternatively, the coverage area 50c may be indicative of the LAN 2 which corresponds to the edge site ES, such as the global IP address that uniquely identifies the router 22 in the LAN 2 and the service set identifier SSID that uniquely identifies the AP 23; Yoden, Abstract discloses Generally, according to aspects of the present invention, a multi-access edge computing a.k.a., mobile edge computing MEC server may be deployed in a wireless communication network such as a cellular communication system and wireless local area network WLAN for provision of an edge-based MEC service in an edge site. The MEC service may include a local communication for an audio/video distribution, data analysis, audio/video upload, etc.; Yoden, [0246] discloses In the aspect, a set of geographical coordinates locating the service area of the MEC service, namely, a set of geographical coordinates that locate the coverage area of one or more BSes 12 associates with the edge site ES in which the corresponding MEC server 300 resides, may be listed as the coverage area 50c for each MEC server 300 in the database 50. The determination may be affirmative S110c, S111a: Yes when a set of geographical coordinates 50c contains the geographical coordinate associated with the UE 100 and thus a MEC server 300 associated with the geographical coordinates set 50c is identified; Yoden, [0242] discloses the Internet server 200 may perform the determination by comparing the current location of the UE 100 with the coverage areas 50c associated with the listed MEC servers 300 S110c. The determination may be affirmative S110c: Yes when the Internet server 200 has found that the current location of the UE 100 matches any coverage area 50c thereby identifying a MEC server 300 associated with the found coverage area 50c).
Therefore, at the time before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Hu to incorporate the teachings of Yoden for the purpose of providing the system with a means to utilize various different alternative types of parameters and granularities of service areas of an edge server being utilized in the determination of which edge server provides services in the area where the mobile device is located (Yoden, Fig. 5A & [0232]) and for the purpose of making the system more dynamic and adaptable by providing the system with various different alternatives in design and functionality, thereby allowing the system to handle a number of various different combination of specific design structure and scenarios and preventing the system from being limited to a single specific design structure and scenario (Hu, [0571]) and furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize based on the guidelines to rationales supporting a conclusion of obviousness seen on MPEP 2143, that the modification would involve use of a simple substitution of one known element and base device (i.e. performing a process of determining an edge server based on a comparison between the service area of the edge server and the current location of a mobile device as taught by Hu) with another known element and comparable device utilizing a known technique (i.e. performing a process of determining an edge server based on a comparison between the service area of the edge server and the current location of a mobile device, wherein the service area includes a plurality of latitudes and longitudes as taught by Yoden) to improve the similar devices in the same way and to obtain the predictable result of the system performing a process of determining an edge server based on a comparison between the service area of the edge server and the current location of a mobile device (i.e. as taught by Hu & Yoden) and is dependent upon the specific intended use, design incentives, needs and requirements (i.e. such as due to teachings of a known standard, current technology, conservation of resources, personal preferences, economic considerations, etc.) of the user and the system as has been established in MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 2 and claim 22, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising: (see claim 1) and The SMF according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises: (see claim 21).
receiving, by the SMF, subscription information about the UE from a Unified Data Management (UDM), wherein the subscription information about the UE at least comprises second ECS configuration information (Hu, Fig. 6 & [0213]-[0214] discloses step 603: The V-SMF obtains subscription information of the terminal apparatus from a UDM and discloses the subscription information of the terminal apparatus in the UDM includes identification information of an ECS that can be visited by the terminal apparatus; Hu, [0413] discloses the V-SMF sends the subscription obtaining information to the UDM, to obtain subscription information of the terminal apparatus from the UDM and the subscription information of the terminal apparatus includes address information of an edge configuration server that supports serving the terminal apparatus and identification information of a PLMN corresponding to the address information; Hu, [0144] discloses a unified data management function UDM).
Regarding claim 4 and claim 24, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 2, (see claim 2) and The SMF according to claim 22 (see claim 22).
wherein the second ECS configuration information comprises at least one of an address of an ECS, (Hu, [0413] discloses the V-SMF sends the subscription obtaining information to the UDM, to obtain subscription information of the terminal apparatus from the UDM and the subscription information of the terminal apparatus includes address information of an edge configuration server that supports serving the terminal apparatus and identification information of a PLMN corresponding to the address information; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0213]-[0214] discloses step 603: The V-SMF obtains subscription information of the terminal apparatus from a UDM and discloses the subscription information of the terminal apparatus in the UDM includes identification information of an ECS that can be visited by the terminal apparatus. EXAMINER’S NOTE: The examiner notes that the claims are written in an alternative limitation format requiring and contingent on the selection of only one of various alternative options presented and as such the non-selected alternative options are crossed out (i.e. the limitations reciting “a service range of the ECS, a selection priority level of the ECS or attribute information about the ECS, and the attribute information about the ECS comprises at least one of information about a party to which the ECS belongs or an application service list”) and are not given patentable weight as being directed towards limitations that are not required to be performed as is indicated in MPEP 2143.03 that recites “Language that suggests or makes a feature or step optional but does not require that feature or step does not limit the scope of a claim under the broadest reasonable claim interpretation. In addition, when a claim requires selection of an element from a list of alternatives, the prior art teaches the element if one of the alternatives is taught by the prior art” and in MPEP 2111.04, Section ll that recites “The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition precedent are not met”).
Regarding claim 5 and claim 25, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 1, (see claim 1) and The SMF according to claim 21 (see claim 21).
(EXAMINER’S NOTE: The examiner notes that the claims are written in a contingent limitation format directed towards limitations contingent on a selection of a non-selected alternative option recited in the preceding limitations and as such are crossed out (i.e. the limitations reciting “wherein the attribute information about the ECS comprises at least one of information about a party to which the ECS belongs or an application service list”) and are not given patentable weight as being directed towards limitations that are not required to be performed as is indicated in MPEP 2143.03, Section C that recites “Language that suggests or makes a feature or step optional but does not require that feature or step does not limit the scope of a claim under the broadest reasonable claim interpretation. In addition, when a claim requires selection of an element from a list of alternatives, the prior art teaches the element if one of the alternatives is taught by the prior art” and in MPEP 2111.04, Section ll that recites “The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim having contingent limitations requires only those steps that must be performed and does not include steps that are not required to be performed because the condition precedent are not met”).
Regarding claim 6 and claim 26, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising (see claim 1) and The SMF according to claim 21, wherein the method further comprises: (see claim 21)..
receiving, by the SMF, a session establishment request message from the UE through an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), wherein the session establishment request message comprises indication information for requesting ECS configuration information (Hu, Fig. 6 & [0209]-[0212] discloses step 601: The terminal apparatus sends session establishment request information to a V-AMF and discloses step 602: the V-AMF sends session management create context request information and for example, sends the session management create context request information by sending Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request to the V-SMF and discloses the V-SMF represents the SMF in the VPLMN, and the V-AMF represents an AMF in the VPLMN and discloses the session management create context request information may include a selected DNN, a DNN requested by the terminal apparatus; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0216] discloses step 605: the V-SMF determines, based on a local configuration, a location of the terminal apparatus, and/or the subscription information of the terminal apparatus, an ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus; Hu, [0135] discloses edge data network EDN may be identified by a data network access identity DNAI or a data network name DNN; Hu, [0144] discloses access and mobility management function AMF).
Regarding claim 7 and claim 27, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 6, further comprising: (see claim 6) and The SMF according to claim 26, wherein the method further comprises: (see claim 26).
transmitting, by the SMF, the first ECS configuration information to the UE through the AMF (Hu, Fig. 6 & [0219] discloses step 606: The V-SMF sends, to the terminal apparatus, address information of the ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus and Fig. 6 shows step 606 having the V-SMF first sends to the V-AMF before the V-AMF sends to the terminal; Hu, [0421] discloses the V-SMF sends, to the terminal apparatus via the V-AMF, the address information of the first ECS).
Regarding claim 30, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing therein a computer program, wherein the computer program is executed by a processor of a Session Management Function (SMF) so as to implement steps in the Edge Configuration Server (ECS) information processing method (Hu, [0565] discloses the computer instructions are loaded and executed on a computer, all or a part of the procedures or functions according to embodiments of this application are generated and the computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium; Hu, [0548] discloses the processing module may be a processor or a controller, the communication module may be a transceiver and the storage module may be a memory; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0208] discloses as shown in Fig. 6, a specific process of determining the edge configuration server includes step 601 to step 607; Hu, Fig. 6 & [0216] discloses step 605: the V-SMF determines, based on a local configuration, a location of the terminal apparatus, and/or the subscription information of the terminal apparatus, an ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus; Hu, [0142] discloses the edge configuration server ECS; Hu, [0144] discloses a session management function SMF; Hu, [0169] discloses the terminal apparatus may include a UE).
according to claim 1 (see claim 1).
Claim(s) 3 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu et al. (US Patent Publication 2024/0022469 herein after referenced as Hu) in view of Yoden (US Patent Publication 2021/0212168 herein after referenced as Yoden) and further in view of ZHANG et al. (US Patent Publication 2022/0377046 herein after referenced as Zhang).
Regarding claim 3 and claim 23, Hu in view of Yoden discloses:
The ECS information processing method according to claim 1 (see claim 1) and The SMF according to claim 21 (see claim 21).
wherein when the SMF comprises locally-configured (Hu, Fig. 6 & [0216] discloses step 605: the V-SMF determines, based on a local configuration, a location of the terminal apparatus, and/or the subscription information of the terminal apparatus, an ECS that supports serving the terminal apparatus).
Hu in view of Yoden discloses determining the ECS based on local configuration but fails to explicitly disclose that said local configuration is directed towards ECS configuration that has a priority level and therefore fails to disclose “SMF comprises locally-configured ECS configuration information, the locally-configured ECS configuration information has a high priority level”.
In a related field of endeavor, Zhang discloses:
SMF comprises locally-configured ECS configuration information, the locally-configured ECS configuration information has a high priority level (Zhang, [0013] discloses the SMF can send an address of a local DNS server LDNS in a MEC platform to a UE if MEC is available for the UE’s location; Zhang, [0015] discloses the SMF can send the address of multiple DNS servers such that the LDNS as primary and central DNS server as backup to the UE; Zhang, [0010]-[0012] discloses the discovery of application server becomes too complicated to be resolved by a current DNS discovery mechanism and discloses some solutions have been discussed in 3GPP, however these solutions violate a principle of request for comments RFC standards for DNS and potentially open users to cross-site scripting attacks and discloses to overcome or mitigate the at least mentioned problems or provide a useful solution, local application server discovery in edge computing may be desirable).
Therefore, at the time before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the invention of Hu in view of Yoden to incorporate the teachings of Zhang for the purpose of providing the system with a means to overcome or mitigate the at least mentioned problems of complicated discovery mechanisms, violation of RF standards and cross-site scripting attacks and provide a desirable useful solution of server discovery in edge computing (Zhang, [0010]-[0012]) and for the purpose of making the system more dynamic and adaptable by providing the system with various different alternatives in design and functionality, thereby allowing the system to handle a number of various different combination of specific design structure and scenarios and preventing the system from being limited to a single specific design structure and scenario and furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize based on the guidelines to rationales supporting a conclusion of obviousness seen on MPEP 2143, that the modification would involve use of a simple substitution of one known element and base device (i.e. performing a process of an determining ECS information based on the UE’s location and local configuration as taught by Hu) with another known element and comparable device utilizing a known technique (i.e. performing a process of an determining ECS information based on the UE’s location and local configuration, wherein the local configuration includes local ECS information having a primary priority over other ECS information as taught by Zhang) to improve the similar devices in the same way and to obtain the predictable result of the system performing a process of an determining ECS information based on the UE’s location and local configuration (i.e. as taught by Hu & Zhang) and is dependent upon the specific intended use, design incentives, needs and requirements (i.e. such as due to teachings of a known standard, current technology, conservation of resources, personal preferences, economic considerations, etc.) of the user and the system as has been established in MPEP 2144.04.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL Y MAPA whose telephone number is (571)270-5540. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday: 10 AM - 8 PM EST.
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/MICHAEL Y MAPA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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