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 .
Preliminary Amendment Acknowledgement
The Preliminary Amendment filed on 10/05/2023 has been acknowledged and 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)(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) 95-96, 103 and 106-107 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Voyer et al. (Pub. No. US 2008/0102826).
Regarding claim 95. Voyer teaches a method (Voyer, the Abstract), comprising:
receiving, from a cell, a plurality of tracking area codes associated with at least one network (Voyer, pp [12]-[14]; Fig. 1, pp [71]-[72]: a BTS, which manages a cell 15 comprising at least two tracking areas with identifiers, transmits to mobile terminals 30 messages comprising the identifiers of the tracking areas 70); and
selecting a tracking area code from the plurality of tracking area codes associated with the at least one network (Voyer, pp [12]-[14]; Fig. 1, pp [71]-[72]: The mobile terminal 30 sends to the base station BTS a message comprising the identifier of the tracking area 70 the mobile terminal 30 selects).
Regarding claim 106. Voyer teaches an apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor (Voyer, the Abstract), cause the apparatus at least to:
receive, from a cell, a plurality of tracking area codes associated with at least one network (Voyer, pp [12]-[14]; Fig. 1, pp [71]-[72]: a BTS, which manages a cell 15 comprising at least two tracking areas with identifiers, transmits to mobile terminals 30 messages comprising the identifiers of the tracking areas 70); and
select a tracking area code from the plurality of tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[14]; Fig. 1, pp [71]-[72]: The mobile terminal 30 sends to the base station BTS a message comprising the identifier of the tracking area 70 the mobile terminal 30 selects).
Regarding claim 96. Voyer teaches the method according to claim 95, further comprising:
identifying, from the plurality of tracking area codes, a first tracking area code and one or more second tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]); and
selecting the first tracking area code or one of the one or more second tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]).
Regarding claim 103. Voyer teaches the method according to claim 95, wherein the first tracking area code is a primary tracking area code and the one or more second tracking area codes are secondary tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]).
Regarding claim 107. Voyer teaches the apparatus according to claim 106, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
identify, from the plurality of tracking area codes, a first tracking area code and one or more second tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]); and select the first tracking area code or one of the one or more second tracking area codes associated with the at least one network (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]).
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(s) 97-102, 104-105 and 108-114 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Voyer et al. (Pub. No. US 2008/0102826) and further in view of Ishii (Pub. No. US 2023/0308363).
Regarding claim 109. Voyer teaches a method (Voyer, the Abstract), comprising:
causing transmission, to at least one user equipment, of a plurality of tracking area codes associated with at least one network (Voyer, Fig. 1, pp [71]-[72]: a BTS, which manages a cell 15 comprising at least two tracking areas with identifiers, transmits to mobile terminals 30 messages comprising the identifiers of the tracking areas 70), wherein a respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups.
Voyer, however, does not teach “the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups.”
Ishii teaches “the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups.” (Ishii, the Abstract: a wireless terminal comprises receiver circuitry configured to receive a message from a network management device wherein the message comprises one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicate a coverage area of a corresponding network slice; pp [233]: the wireless terminal stores the network slice band association information and the area scope indication(s) in its memory, e.g., network slice band association information (NSBAI) memory. In addition, the wireless terminal may store one or more area identities based on the area scope(s), wherein the one or more area identities to be stored may be: (1) the serving PLMN identity (if the area scope is “PLMN”), (2) the tracking area codes (TACs) of the current registration area (if the area scope is “Registration Area”), (3) the TACs included in the TAC list (if the area scope is “TACs”), or (4) the cell identities included in the Cell List (if the area scope is “Cells”; Figs. 25A-25B, pp [272]-[273]: a wireless terminal receives a message comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations. The message may be a system information message (e.g. SIB1/SIBx), a NAS message (e.g. Registration Accept message) or a dedicated RRC message. Each of the network slice coverage area configurations may indicate a coverage area of a corresponding network slice. The each of the network slice coverage area configurations may comprise a list of area identities, such as a list of tracking area codes and a list of cell identities, in which the corresponding network slice is supported/available).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 97. Voyer teaches the method according claim 95, further comprising:
determining whether one or more of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with the tracking area identifiers list (Voyer, the Abstract, pp [12]-[15], [71]-[72]).
Voyer does not teach:
receiving, from the cell for at least one respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes, one or more identifiers for one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups;
receiving, from the cell, a tracking area identifiers list comprising one or more of a forbidden tracking area identifier or an allowable tracking area identifier.
Ishii teaches:
receiving, from the cell for at least one respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes, one or more identifiers for one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups (Ishii, the Abstract, pp [233]: the wireless terminal stores the network slice band association information and the area scope indication(s) in its memory, e.g., network slice band association information (NSBAI) memory. In addition, the wireless terminal may store one or more area identities based on the area scope(s), wherein the one or more area identities to be stored may be: (1) the serving PLMN identity (if the area scope is “PLMN”), (2) the tracking area codes (TACs) of the current registration area (if the area scope is “Registration Area”), (3) the TACs included in the TAC list (if the area scope is “TACs”), or (4) the cell identities included in the Cell List (if the area scope is “Cells”; Figs. 25A-25B, pp [272]-[273]: a wireless terminal receives a message comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations. The message may be a system information message (e.g. SIB1/SIBx), a NAS message (e.g. Registration Accept message) or a dedicated RRC message. Each of the network slice coverage area configurations may indicate a coverage area of a corresponding network slice. The each of the network slice coverage area configurations may comprise a list of area identities, such as a list of tracking area codes and a list of cell identities, in which the corresponding network slice is supported/available);
receiving, from the cell, a tracking area identifiers list comprising one or more of a forbidden tracking area identifier or an allowable tracking area identifier (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 98. Voyer does not teach the method according to claim 95, further comprising:
determining one or more allowable tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes; and
selecting a respective allowable tracking area code based upon relative priorities of the one or more allowable tracking area codes.
Ishii teaches “determining one or more allowable tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells); and selecting a respective allowable tracking area code based upon relative priorities of the one or more allowable tracking area codes” (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells; pp [89]-[90], [157]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a allowable and priority designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 99. Voyer does not teach the method according to claim 95, further comprising:
determining one or more forbidden tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes; and
selecting a respective tracking area code based upon relative priorities of the plurality of tracking area codes that are not forbidden.
Ishii teaches “determining one or more forbidden tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells; pp [89]-[90], [157]); and selecting a respective tracking area code based upon relative priorities of the plurality of tracking area codes that are not forbidden.” (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells; pp [89]-[90], [157]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a allowable and priority designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 100. Voyer does not teach the method according to claim 95, wherein prioritization of the one or more second tracking area codes are based on an encoding order associated with the plurality of tracking area codes.
Ishii teaches “prioritization of the one or more second tracking area codes are based on an encoding order associated with the plurality of tracking area codes.” (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells; pp [89]-[90], [157]: prioritizing).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a allowable and priority designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 101. Voyer does not teach the method according to claim 95, wherein the first tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with a first information element of a system information block.
Ishii teaches “the first tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with a first information element of a system information block.” (Ishii, pp [160]-[161], [218]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a allowable and priority designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages such as system information blocks comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 102. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 101, wherein the one or more second tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes are associated with a second information element of the system information block that is different than the first information element (Ishii, pp [160]-[161], [218]).
Regarding claim 104. Voyer does not teach the method according to claim 95, wherein a respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is mapped to respective single network slice selection assistance information.
Ishii teaches “a respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is mapped to respective single network slice selection assistance information.” (Ishii, pp [165]-[168], [176]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide an allowable and priority designated service as in mapping S-NSSAI(s) within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages such as system information blocks comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 105. Voyer does not teaches the method according to claim 95, wherein the at least one network comprises one or more of a public land mobile network, a stand-alone non-public network or a public network integrated non-public network.
Ishii teaches “the at least one network comprises one or more of a public land mobile network, a stand-alone non-public network or a public network integrated non-public network.” (Ishii, the Abstract, pp [94]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide an allowable and priority designated service as in mapping S-NSSAI(s) within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages such as system information blocks comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 108. Voyer teaches the apparatus according to claim 106, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:
determine whether one or more of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with the tracking area identifiers list (Voyer, the Abstract, pp [12]-[15], [71]-[72]).
Voyer does not teach:
receive, from the cell for at least one respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes, one or more identifiers for one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups;
receive, from the cell, a tracking area identifiers list comprising one or more of a forbidden tracking area identifier or an allowable tracking area identifier.
Ishii teaches:
receiving, from the cell for at least one respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes, one or more identifiers for one or more network slices or one or more network slice groups (Ishii, the Abstract, pp [233]: the wireless terminal stores the network slice band association information and the area scope indication(s) in its memory, e.g., network slice band association information (NSBAI) memory. In addition, the wireless terminal may store one or more area identities based on the area scope(s), wherein the one or more area identities to be stored may be: (1) the serving PLMN identity (if the area scope is “PLMN”), (2) the tracking area codes (TACs) of the current registration area (if the area scope is “Registration Area”), (3) the TACs included in the TAC list (if the area scope is “TACs”), or (4) the cell identities included in the Cell List (if the area scope is “Cells”; Figs. 25A-25B, pp [272]-[273]: a wireless terminal receives a message comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations. The message may be a system information message (e.g. SIB1/SIBx), a NAS message (e.g. Registration Accept message) or a dedicated RRC message. Each of the network slice coverage area configurations may indicate a coverage area of a corresponding network slice. The each of the network slice coverage area configurations may comprise a list of area identities, such as a list of tracking area codes and a list of cell identities, in which the corresponding network slice is supported/available);
receiving, from the cell, a tracking area identifiers list comprising one or more of a forbidden tracking area identifier or an allowable tracking area identifier (Ishii, Figs. 20A-20B, pp [220]-[222], Tables 9 and 10: tracking area identifiers list comprising allowed TAC list of cells).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the affective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Voyer by incorporating teachings of Ishii, a core network supports one or more network slices wherein each of the network slices provide a designated service within a public land mobile network (PLMN) for wireless terminals to access. The wireless terminals are configured to receive messages comprising one or more network slice coverage area configurations, which indicates a coverage area of a corresponding network slice, thus providing the wireless terminals select the available network slices associated with corresponding areas where the wireless terminals roam and camp on quickly and sufficiently to improve the robust service access at the most sufficient and effective fashion.
Regarding claim 110. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 109, further comprising:
causing transmission, to the at least one user equipment for at least one respective tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes, of one or more identifiers for the one or more network slices or the one or more network slice groups (Ishii, Fig. 22A, pp [237]).
Regarding claim 111. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 109, further comprising:
receiving, from a network, the plurality of tracking area codes associated with the at least one network, wherein the plurality of tracking area codes comprises a first tracking area code and one or more second tracking area codes (Voyer, pp [12]-[17]; and Ishii, pp [208]-[210]).
Regarding claim 112. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 111, wherein prioritization of the one or more second tracking area codes are based on an encoding order associated with the plurality of tracking area codes (Ishii, pp [89]-[90], [157]).
Regarding claim 113. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 109, wherein the first tracking area code of the plurality of tracking area codes is associated with a first information element of a system information block (Ishii, pp [160]-[161], [218]).
Regarding claim 114. Voyer, as modified by Ishii, teaches the method according to claim 113, wherein the one or more second tracking area codes of the plurality of tracking area codes are associated with a second information element of the system information block that is different than the first information element (Ishii, pp [160]-[161], [218]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUY C HO whose telephone number is (571)270-1108. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM.
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/HUY C HO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644