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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I, (claims 30-37 and 51) in the reply filed on 01/15/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the specific feature “SRVCC-specific mobility management context within a forward relocation request during an inter-system handover” is shared between Species I and II, and Zhang does not disclose the specific feature. This is not found persuasive because “The expression “special technical features” shall mean those technical features that define a contribution which each of the claimed inventions, considered as a whole, makes over the prior art”, (see MPEP 1850). The specific functionality is still disclosed by Zhang in figure 4, paragraph [0110]-[0111], “At step 432, the AMF 402 may transmit a bypass handover message to the selected MME 410. For example, the AMF 402 may indicate the MME 410 to bypass the handover of the UE 115-b from 5G system to LTE system, and instead initiate an SRVCC procedure to handover the UE 115-b from 5G system to 2G or 3G system… the bypass handover message may include an identification associated with the target base station, a source to target transparent RRC container, an indication for the MME 410 to initiate a voice call continuity procedure to handover the UE 115-b from the 5G system to the 2G or 3G system, and a context associated with the UE 115-b… At step 434, the MME 410 may receive the bypass handover message and may initiate an SRVCC procedure to handover the UE 115-b.”; (Furthermore, there is nothing in the claim to disclose “embedding SRVCC-specific mobility management context into a forward relocation request”).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Remarks
The present Office Action is based upon the Applicant’s amendment filed on 01/15/2026. Claims 30-45, 51 and 52 are now pending in the present application.
Claim(s) 38-45 and 52 is/are withdrawn from consideration.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements submitted on 10/16/2023, 10/17/2023 and 10/18/2024 have been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 30, 31, 35-37 and 51 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by ZONG et al. -US 20220338085 A1- (hereinafter Zong).
Regarding claim 30, Zong discloses a method performed by a first mobility management function in a first system, comprising:
obtaining mobility management context for single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) (FIG. 8, par. 0247-0250, “Operation 804: The AMF determines an SRVCC capability of the UE… the AMF may determine that voice centric UE is UE that supports SRVCC… the AMF determines the SRVCC capability of the UE after receiving the handover cause being the EPS fallback. In an embodiment, the AMF may determine the SRVCC capability of the UE during registration of the UE or in a process of establishing a PDU session corresponding to the voice service”); and
sending a forward relocation request to a second mobility management function in a second system during a handover from the first system to the second system, wherein the forward relocation request comprises mobility management context for the SRVCC (FIG. 8, par. 0255-0256, “Operation 806: The AMF sends a forward relocation request to an MME… For example, the AMF selects the MME based on information about the eNB, and sends the forward relocation request to the MME. After receiving the forward relocation request, the MME initiates 5G-to-4G handover. The forward relocation request includes the SRVCC capability that is of the UE and that is determined by the AMF. In an embodiment, the forward relocation request includes the subscription information of the UE obtained by the AMF from the HSS+UDM. The AMF transmits the subscription information of the UE to the MME…”).
Regarding claim 31, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses wherein the first system is a fifth generation system (5GS), and the second system is an evolved packet system (EPS) (FIGS. 8 and 9, par. 0265, “the first network is a 5G network, the second network is a 4G network…”).
Regarding claim 35, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses wherein the mobility management context for the SRVCC comprises information necessary for the second mobility management function to perform SRVCC (Par. 0256 and 0260 “The forward relocation request includes the SRVCC capability that is of the UE and that is determined by the AMF. In an embodiment, the forward relocation request includes the subscription information of the UE obtained by the AMF from the HSS+UDM… the MME obtains SRVCC subscription of the UE from the HSS+UDM, and then determines, based on the SRVCC capability of the UE and the SRVCC subscription of the UE, whether to send the SRVCC operation possible indication to the eNB. In an embodiment, the MME may alternatively store, in the HSS+UDM, the SRVCC capability of the UE obtained from the AMF”).
Regarding claim 36, as applied to claim 35 above, Zong discloses wherein the information comprises at least one mobile station classmark and/or supported codec list of a user equipment related to the handover (par. 0256 and 0260 “the MME obtains SRVCC subscription of the UE from the HSS+UDM, and then determines, based on the SRVCC capability of the UE and the SRVCC subscription of the UE, whether to send the SRVCC operation possible indication to the eNB”; the capability of the UE reads on claimed mobile station classmark).
Regarding claim 37, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses wherein the first mobility management function comprises an access and mobility function (AMF), and the second mobility management function comprises a mobility management entity (MME) (FIG. 8 for AMF and MME).
Regarding claim 51, Zong discloses an apparatus configured to implement a first mobility management function in a first system, the apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, said memory containing instructions executable by said processor, whereby said processor is operative to (FIG. 13 for a communication apparatus with a processor 1302 and a memory 1303, par. 0346 and 0349):
obtain mobility management context for single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC) (FIG. 8, par. 0247-0250, “Operation 804: The AMF determines an SRVCC capability of the UE… the AMF may determine that voice centric UE is UE that supports SRVCC… the AMF determines the SRVCC capability of the UE after receiving the handover cause being the EPS fallback. In an embodiment, the AMF may determine the SRVCC capability of the UE during registration of the UE or in a process of establishing a PDU session corresponding to the voice service”); and
send a forward relocation request from the first mobility management function to a second mobility management function in a second system during a handover from the first system to the second system, wherein the forward relocation request comprises mobility management context for the SRVCC (FIG. 8, par. 0255-0256, “Operation 806: The AMF sends a forward relocation request to an MME… For example, the AMF selects the MME based on information about the eNB, and sends the forward relocation request to the MME. After receiving the forward relocation request, the MME initiates 5G-to-4G handover. The forward relocation request includes the SRVCC capability that is of the UE and that is determined by the AMF. In an embodiment, the forward relocation request includes the subscription information of the UE obtained by the AMF from the HSS+UDM. The AMF transmits the subscription information of the UE to the MME…”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zong as applied to claim(s) 30 above, and further in view of Karampatsis et al. -US 20210321304 A1- (hereinafter Karampatsis).
Regarding claim 32, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses the claimed invention except wherein the handover from the first system to the second system is 5GS to EPS handover using N26 interface.
In the same field of endeavor, Karampatsis discloses wherein the handover from the first system to the second system is 5GS to EPS handover using N26 interface (par. 0058, “In embodiments for which there is 5G to EPS handover, the network may have a combination SMF+PGW-C node and a direct interface (e.g., N26 interface) between the AMF 408 and an MME that is used to enable the exchange of MM and SM states between a source and target network.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate using N26 interface between AMF and MME during a handover as taught by Karampatsis to rthe handover between the 5G network and a 4G network as disclosed by Zong for purpose of using N26 interface for the handover between 5G network and a 4G network.
Claim(s) 33 and 34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zong as applied to claim(s) 30 above, and further in view of Talat -US 20220022102 A1- (hereinafter Talat).
Regarding claim 33, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses the claimed invention except wherein the forward relocation request further comprises at least one of session transfer number for SRVCC (STN- SR) or correlation mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (C-MSISDN).
In the same field of endeavor, Talat discloses wherein the forward relocation request further comprises at least one of session transfer number for SRVCC (STN- SR) or correlation mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (C-MSISDN) (FIG. 4, par. 0038, “In the step S403, AMF 104 sends the forward relocation request with 5G-SRVCC HO Indication to MME_SRVCC 302 together with Session Transfer Number for SRVCC (STN-SR) and correlated Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number (C-MSISDN), and the MME_SRVCC 302 then triggers the SRVCC procedure with the MSC Server 301 enhanced for SRVCC via the Sv reference point.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate updating the forward relocation request with Session Transfer Number for SRVCC (STN-SR) and correlated Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number (C-MSISDN) as taught by Talat to the forward relocation request as disclosed by Zong for purpose of sending, by the AMF to the MME, 5G-SRVCC HO Indication with STN-SR and C-MSISDN.
Regarding claim 34, as applied to claim 30 above, Zong discloses the claimed invention wherein the forward relocation request when a user equipment related to the handover is subscribed to second system SRVCC (FIG. par. 0251-0252, “Operation 805: The AMF obtains subscription data of the UE from an HSS+UDM… he subscription information indicates whether the UE has subscribed to a fallback from a 4G network to a 2G/3G network to maintain continuity of the voice service. For example, the AMF determines, based on the received subscription information, whether the UE has subscribed to the SRVCC.”).
However, Zong fails to disclose wherein the forward relocation request further comprises at least one of session transfer number for SRVCC (STN- SR) or correlation mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (C-MSISDN).
In the same field of endeavor, Talat discloses wherein the forward relocation request further comprises at least one of session transfer number for SRVCC (STN- SR) or correlation mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number (C-MSISDN) (FIG. 4, par. 0038, “In the step S403, AMF 104 sends the forward relocation request with 5G-SRVCC HO Indication to MME_SRVCC 302 together with Session Transfer Number for SRVCC (STN-SR) and correlated Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number (C-MSISDN), and the MME_SRVCC 302 then triggers the SRVCC procedure with the MSC Server 301 enhanced for SRVCC via the Sv reference point.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate updating the forward relocation request with Session Transfer Number for SRVCC (STN-SR) and correlated Mobile Subscriber ISDN Number (C-MSISDN) as taught by Talat to the forward relocation request as disclosed by Zong for purpose of sending, by the AMF to the MME, 5G-SRVCC HO Indication with STN-SR and C-MSISDN.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALLAHYAR KASRAIA N whose telephone number is (571)270-1772. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5: 00 pm.
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/ALLAHYAR KASRAIA N/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642