DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having application No 18/552,825 filed on 06/02/2026 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 3-10, 12, and 14-15 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over LIU et al. (U.S 20210045006, Feb. 11, 2021) in view of Ryu et al. (US 20200396000, Dec. 17, 2020).
Regarding Claim 1, LIU discloses a method performed by an access and management function (AMF) network entity in a wireless communication system capable of using a plurality of backhaul networks(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul nodes, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul nodes is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element),
the method comprising receiving a registration request message of a user terminal (page 17, par (0215), line 1-10, the terminal accesses the network through the wireless backhaul node, in the network, that corresponds to the terminal sends a create session response message (registration request message to create terminal access) for a create session request to an MME corresponding to the terminal),
from a radio access network (RAN) (page 10, par (0132), line 1-10, the terminal communicates with one or more core networks through a radio access network (RAN);
LIU discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except identifying a backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection from among the plurality of backhaul networks, based on a transport network layer (TNL) association identifier through which the registration request message is transmitted; and determining a backhaul network to be used for control plane connection, based on the identified backhaul network.
Ryu is the same field of invention teaches identifying a backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection from among the plurality of backhaul networks (page 21, par (0237), line 1-10, The base station sends a RAN configuration update message to the AMF. The RAN configuration update message comprises an identity of the backhaul networks),
based on a transport network layer (TNL) association identifier through which the registration request message is transmitted (page 21, par (0236), line 1-10, a first NGAP procedure triggered after the TNL (transport network layer) association has become operational, the base station initiate the procedure by sending an NG setup request message to the AMF (registration request message transmitted based on TNL operational), the NG setup request message comprise an identity of the base station);
and determining a backhaul network to be used for control plane connection, based on the identified backhaul network (page 21, par (0237), line 1-10, the RAN configuration update acknowledge message comprise an AMF name, a served globally unique AMF identifier list, and backhaul network information (wherein backhaul network information used for connection based on the identification)).
LIU and Ryu are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the determining a backhaul network to be used for control plane connection, based on the identified backhaul network the teaching of LIU to include the RAN configuration update acknowledge message comprise an AMF name, a served globally unique AMF identifier list, and backhaul network information the teaching of Ryu because it is providing a DNN, then the UE consider the DNN to determine which POU session to use.
Regarding Claim 3, LIU discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except the identifying of the backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection comprises identifying the backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection, based on pre- determined mapping information between the TNL association identifier or the identifier of the RAN and the backhaul network.
Ryu is the same field of invention teaches the identifying of the backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection comprises identifying the backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection(page 21, par (0237), line 1-10, the RAN configuration update acknowledge message comprise an AMF name, a served globally unique AMF identifier list, and backhaul network information), based on pre- determined mapping information between the TNL association identifier or the identifier of the RAN and the backhaul network(page 2, par (0044), line 1-10, the AMF comprise some AMF that serve a given area and network slice(s), multiple AMF sets per AMF region and network slice(s). Application identifier that mapped to a specific application traffic detection rule, UE association a logical per UE association between a AN node and an AMF, N2AP UE-TNLA-binding between a N2AP UE association and a specific transport network layer, TNL association for a given UE).
Regarding Claim 4, LIU discloses the determining of the backhaul network to be used for control plane connection comprises determining to use the backhaul network used by the RAN for control plane connection (page 10, par (0132), line 1-10, the terminal communicates with one or more core networks through a radio access network (RAN), communicate with another terminal).
Regarding Claim 5, LIU discloses the plurality of backhaul networks comprise at least one terrestrial network and at least one satellite network (page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks).
Regarding Claim 6, LIU discloses transmitting, to a session management function (SMF) network entity, information about the determined backhaul network to be used for control plane connection(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element).
Regarding Claim 7, LIU discloses a method performed by a session management function (SMF) network entity in a wireless communication system capable of using a plurality of backhaul networks(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul nodes, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul nodes is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element),
the method comprising obtaining information about a backhaul network used by an access and management function (AMF) network entity for control plane connection, from among the plurality of backhaul networks(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network), determining a backhaul network to be used for user plane connection, from among the plurality of backhaul networks(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks),
LIU discloses all aspects of the claimed invention, except based on the information about the backhaul network used for control plane connection; and transmitting information about the determined backhaul network to be used for user plane connection to the RAN); wherein the backhaul network is identified based on a transport network layer (TNL) association identifier through which a registration request message of a user terminal is transmitted from a radio access network (RAN) to the AMF network entity.
Ryu is the same field of invention teaches based on the information about the backhaul network used for control plane connection; and transmitting information about the determined backhaul network to be used for user plane connection to the RAN) (page 21, par (0237), line 1-10, The base station sends a RAN configuration update message to the AMF. The RAN configuration update message comprises an identity of the backhaul networks); wherein the backhaul network is identified based on a transport network layer (TNL) association identifier through which a registration request message of a user terminal is transmitted(page 21, par (0236), line 1-10, a first NGAP procedure triggered after the TNL (transport network layer) association has become operational, the base station initiate the procedure by sending an NG setup request message to the AMF (registration request message transmitted based on TNL operational), the NG setup request message comprise an identity of the base station) from a radio access network (RAN) to the AMF network entity(page 21, par (0237), line 1-10, the RAN configuration update acknowledge message comprise an AMF name, a served globally unique AMF identifier list, and backhaul network information (wherein backhaul network information used for connection based on the identification)).
LIU and Ryu are analogous art because they are from the same field of endeavor of access to a service device.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the determining a backhaul network to be used for control plane connection, based on the identified backhaul network the teaching of LIU to include the RAN configuration update acknowledge message comprise an AMF name, a served globally unique AMF identifier list, and backhaul network information the teaching of Ryu because it is providing a DNN, then the UE consider the DNN to determine which POU session to use.
Regarding Claim 8, LIU discloses the determining of the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection comprises determining the backhaul network used for control plane connection as the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element).
Regarding Claim 9, LIU discloses the determining of the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection further comprises selecting a user plane function (UPF) network entity to be used for user plane connection, based on the determined backhaul network to be used for user plane connection (page 19, par (0222), line 1-10, the PLMN may employ the NTN for backhaul interface between an access network and 5G core network (e.g. AMF, UPF) the PLMN employ an NTN in both the access network and the backhaul).
Regarding Claim 10, LIU discloses the transmitting of the information about the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection to the RAN comprises:
determining an Internet Protocol (IP) address range assignable by the RAN to a user terminal for user plane connection, based on the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection; and transmitting information about the determined IP address range to the RAN (page 1, par (0003), line 1-10, the RN accesses the access network device through a wireless backhaul link, and the RN communicates with the terminal through a radio access link. For the terminal, the RN used as a cell managed by the access network device, and the RN performs forwarding between the terminal and the access network device based on an IP data packet. Wireless backhaul means that data is transmitted to a corresponding core network by using a radio access technology (RAT)).
Regarding Claim 12, LIU discloses the transmitting of the information about the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection to the RAN comprises: determining a network instance to be used by the RAN for user plane connection, based on the backhaul network to be used for user plane connection(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks); and transmitting information about the determined network instance to the RAN)(page 10, par (0132), line 1-10, the terminal communicates with one or more core networks through a radio access network (RAN), communicate with another terminal).
Regarding Claim 14, LIU discloses an access and management function (AMF) network entity configured to operate according to the operating method of claim 1(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element).
Regarding Claim 15, LIU discloses a session management function (SMF) network entity configured to operate according to the operating method of claim 7(page 9, par(0123), line 1-10, the core network user plane network element corresponding to the wireless backhaul node, the corresponding core network control plane network element of the wireless backhaul node is an MME network element(using a plurality of backhaul networks), the corresponding core network control plane network element of the terminal an AMF network element and an SMF network element).
Response to Argument
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-15 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. However, the new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of over LIU et al. (U.S 20210045006, Feb. 11, 2021) and Ryu et al. (US 20200396000, Dec. 17, 2020).
Examiner Notice
Claim 1 would be allowable if (i) claims 11 or 13 are incorporated into the independent claim 1.
Claim 7 would be allowable if (i) claims 11 or 13 are incorporated into the independent claim 7.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IQBAL ZAIDI whose telephone number is (571)270-3943. The examiner can normally be reached on M to Thu 8.a.m to 6.p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricky Q Ngo can be reached on 57-272-3139. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/IQBAL ZAIDI/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2464
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