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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-14, 16-21, 23-28, 30-36, 38-43 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiao (12,167,292) and Hedman et al. (2022/0322080) hereinafter “Hedman”.
As to Claim 1, Qiao discloses A method of a first Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving, from a Radio Access Network (RAN), a Registration Request message of a User Equipment (UE) in CM-CONNECTED state (col 12 lines 8-14: “…during a registration procedure in a PLMN, in case the network decides that the UE 100 should be served by a different AMF 155 based on network slice(s) aspects, the AMF 155 that first received the registration request may redirect the registration request to another AMF 155… via direct signaling between the initial AMF 155 and target AMF 155.” ); and
sending the Registration Request message to a second AMF apparatus directly (col 12 lines 8-14: “…during a registration procedure in a PLMN, in case the network decides that the UE 100 should be served by a different AMF 155 based on network slice(s) aspects, the AMF 155 that first received the registration request may redirect the registration request to another AMF 155… via direct signaling between the initial AMF 155 and target AMF 155.” ),
Further, although considered an intended use outside the scope of the claim so not carrying patentable weight, it is considered that the UE is in the CM-CONNECTED state based on col 7 line 10 - col. 8 line 8.
Qiao is silent on yet in an analogous art, Hedman discloses
wherein the Registration Request message sent to the second AMF apparatus is in clear text. See [0057]-[0069] which provides for registration request messaging in clear text except as required for security. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Qiao such that the Registration Request message sent to the second AMF apparatus is in clear text as taught by Hedman for the purpose of limiting the encryption to that necessary for security.
As to Claim 2, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 1 and further provide for 5G architecture (Qiao col 1 lines 23-29, etc) which the examiner takes official notice that provides for an Uplink Non-Access Stratum (NAS) Transport message for messaging. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method wherein the Registration Request message received from the RAN is included in an Uplink Non-Access Stratum (NAS) Transport message for the purpose of utilizing 5G standards.
As to Claim 3, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 1, Qiao discloses the use of NamfCommunication_N1MessageNotify in messaging between AMFs (see col 14 lines 32-63). Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method wherein the Registration Request message sent to the second AMF apparatus is included in NamfCommunication_N1MessageNotify for the purpose of utilizing the standard messaging.
As to Claim 4, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 1, Qiao disclose wherein the Registration Request message is sent by the UE to the RAN (col 11, lines 54-61, etc)
As to Claim 5, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 1, Qiao discloses The method according to claim 1 wherein a Registration procedure is continued by the second AMF apparatus after receiving the Registration Request message. See Col 12 lines 8-14 and 32-44 and col 17 line 35 – col 18 line 30. Note that this is implied by “should be served” in col 12 lines 8-14 else the first AMF would not go through the trouble of redirecting. Also the BRI of the claim is such that acts by another entity would be considered as an intended use outside the scope of the claim.
As to Claim 6, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 5, Qiao discloses wherein a Registration Accept message is sent by the second AMF apparatus to the UE in the Registration procedure. See col 17 line 35 – col 18 line 30: “the new AMF 155 may send to the UE 100 a registration accept…”.
As to Claim 8, Qiao discloses A method of a first Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) apparatus, as applied above to claim 1, the method comprising:
communicating with a second AMF apparatus (col 12 lines 8-14: “…during a registration procedure in a PLMN, in case the network decides that the UE 100 should be served by a different AMF 155 based on network slice(s) aspects, the AMF 155 that first received the registration request may redirect the registration request to another AMF 155… via direct signaling between the initial AMF 155 and target AMF 155.” ); and
receiving ((col 12 lines 8-14: “…during a registration procedure in a PLMN, in case the network decides that the UE 100 should be served by a different AMF 155 based on network slice(s) aspects, the AMF 155 that first received the registration request may redirect the registration request to another AMF 155… via direct signaling between the initial AMF 155 and target AMF 155.” )), from the second AMF apparatus directly, a Registration Request message of a User Equipment (UE) in CM-CONNECTED state,
Further, although considered an intended use outside the scope of the claim so not carrying patentable weight, it is considered that the UE is in the CM-CONNECTED state based on col 7 line 10 - col. 8 line 8.
Qiao is silent on yet in an analogous art, Hedman discloses
wherein the Registration Request message received from the second AMF apparatus is in clear text. See [0057]-[0069] which provides for registration request messaging in clear text except as required for security. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Qiao such that the Registration Request message received from the second AMF apparatus is in clear text as taught by Hedman for the purpose of limiting the encryption to that necessary for security.
Claims 9 and 11-14 correspond to claims 3,2,4-6, respectively. See above for citations.
As to Claim 10, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 8, Qiao discloses wherein the Registration Request message is sent by a Radio Access Network (RAN) to the second AMF apparatus. See Fig 14.
As to Claim 16, Qiao discloses A method of a User Equipment (UE 100), the method comprising:
communicating with a Radio Access Network (RAN) (see col 11 lines 38-42, col 12 line 59 - col 13 lines 28); and
sending, to the RAN, a Registration Request message of the UE in CM-CONNECTED state (see col 13 line 40 – col 14 line 18,
wherein the Registration Request (810) message is sent by the RAN to a first Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) apparatus, and the Registration Request message is sent by the first AMF apparatus to a second AMF apparatus directly, (see col 12 lines 8-14: “…during a registration procedure in a PLMN, in case the network decides that the UE 100 should be served by a different AMF 155 based on network slice(s) aspects, the AMF 155 that first received the registration request may redirect the registration request to another AMF 155… via direct signaling between the initial AMF 155 and target AMF 155.”) and
wherein the Registration Request message sent by the first AMF apparatus to the second AMF apparatus is in clear text.
As to Claim 17, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 16, Qiao discloses further comprising:
receiving, from the second AMF apparatus, a Registration Accept message including a 5G-GUTI and an Allowed NSSAI. See col 17 line 35 – col 18 line 30: “the new AMF 155 may send to the UE 100 a registration accept (comprising: 5G-GUTI,… allowed NSSAI)”.
As to Claim 18, the combination of Qiao and Hedman discloses The method according to claim 16, and provide for 5G architecture (Qiao col 1 lines 23-29, etc) which the examiner takes official notice that provides for an Uplink Non-Access Stratum (NAS) Transport message for messaging. Before the effective filing date of the instant invention it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method wherein the Registration Request message sent by the RAN to the first AMF apparatus is included in an Uplink Non-Access Stratum (NAS) Transport message for the purpose of utilizing 5G standards.
Claims 19-21 correspond to claims 3,5-6, respectively. See above for citations.
As to Claim 19, The method according to any one of (Currently Amended) The method according to any one of wherein the Registration Request message sent by the first AMF apparatus to the second AMF apparatus is included in NamfCommunication_N1MessageNotify.
As to Claim 20, The method according to claim 16, wherein a Registration procedure is continued by the second AMF apparatus after receiving the Registration Request message.
As to Claim 21, The method according to claim 20, further comprising:
receiving, from the second AMF apparatus, a Registration Accept message in the Registration procedure.
Claims 23-28 correspond to claims 1-6, claims 30-36 correspond to claims 8-14, and claims 38-43 correspond to claims 16-21 respectively. In addition Qiao provides for apparatus with memory and processors in Figs 3-4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zong et al. (2020/0245127) provide for directly redirecting a registration request from one AMF to another. See [0147]-[0149].
Ryu et al. (2024/0244559) additionally provide for redirecting a registration request from one AMF to another [0184].
Suh (2023/0086538) provides for transmission of routing information as clear text. See [0056]-[0057].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESTER KINCAID whose telephone number is (571)272-7922. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th: 7-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen Pan can be reached at 571-272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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LESTER G. KINCAID
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2649
/LESTER G KINCAID/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649