DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-16 were cancelled. Claims 17-36 were newly added and are pending for examination in this application.
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/29/2024 and 1/16/26 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 non-obviousness.
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.
Claims 17-36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Keller et al. (US 2020/0305033 A1), hereinafter referred to as Keller.
Regarding claim 17:
Keller discloses an apparatus (first network function {NF} service provider, e.g., network repository function {NRF}, element 121 in Fig.9 and [0050]), comprising:
at least one processor (processing unit, element 901 in Fig.9); and
at least one memory (memory, element 908 in Fig.9) comprising code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to:
perform at least some functionality of a network repository function (performing as first network function {NF} service provider, e.g., network repository function {NRF}, element 121 in Fig.9 and [0050]);
receive, from a first network function, a first indication of whether the first network function is located in a radio access network (obtain, from second NF service producer, e.g., first NF, information regarding network areas supporting specific functionality [0010]); and
in response to receiving a request for information about the first network function from a second network function (in response to receiving a request for an address of second NF service provider supporting specific functionality in a desired network area [0010] or a request for network area information indicating network area in which specific functionality shall be performed by second NF service provider [0011]), signalling to the second network function a second indication of whether the first network function is located in the radio access network (sending to NF service consumer, e.g., second NF, determined address of second NF service provider supporting specific functionality in indicated network area [0010]).
Also, Keller mentions NRF supports services and NF discovery towards NFs supporting specific functionality for specific areas of a network, both within the 5G core network (5GC) and outside the 5GC, e.g., radio access node [0032]. In addition, Keller states a user Equipment {UE} communicates via a Radio Access Network {RAN} to one or more core networks (CN), wherein a RAN covers a geographical area, which is divided into service areas or cell areas, with each service area or cell area being served by a radio network node or radio access network [0002].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to implement the feature of performing such method in a RAN including NRF, NF service provider, NF service consumer (as taught in Zhang – US 10,841,791 B1), for enabling a specific functionality for a specific area located in a RAN, based on indication on NF service provider; thus improving the performance and reliability of the communications network in an efficient manner – Keller [0009].
Regarding claim 18:
Keller discloses all features of claim 17, and --
Keller further teaches the first indication is signalled with at least one of:
a property of a radio link in the radio access network through which the first network function is reachable, an indication of a radio access network node in which the first network function is located, an indication of a path of network node hops for signalling the first network function , and/or an indication of an area to which the first network function is able to provide services (information regarding network areas which support specific functionality of second NF service provider [0010]).
Regarding claim 19:
Keller discloses all features of claim 17, and --
Keller further teaches the first indication is signalled with a third indication of whether the first network function is mobile (information on NF type, e.g., first NF service provider is located in a 5G core network, e.g., core network of mobile communications [0010]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to inform that the first network function is mobile; thus informing its network areas for which the first network function supports – Keller [0149].
Regarding claim 20:
Keller discloses all features of claim 17, and --
Keller further teaches the second indication is signalled with at least one of:
a property of a radio link in the radio access network through which the first network function is reachable, an indication of a radio access network node in which the first network function is located, an indication of a path of network node hops for signalling the first network function, and/or an indication of an area to which the first network function is able to provide services (sending indication on address of second NF service provider supporting specific functionality in the indicated network area to the NF service consumer [0010]).
Regarding claim 21:
Keller discloses all features of claim 17, and --
Keller futher teaches the request for information comprises a discovery request for a network function that is local to a service consumer (requesting address of second NF service provider using a NF Discovery Request -- from NF service consumer towards first NF service provider [0073]).
Regarding claim 22:
Keller discloses all features of claim 17, and --
Keller further teaches the first indication is signalled with a third indication of whether the first network function is mobile (information about NF service provider NF Type, e.g., mobile, supported services and address information as part of the registration to NRF [0008], wherein NF service provider is located in a 5G core network, e.g., core network of mobile communications [0010]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to inform that the first network function is mobile; thus informing its network areas for which the first network function supports – Keller [0149].
Regarding claims 23-26:
Keller discloses all features of claim 22, and --
Claims 23-26 are rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claims 18-21.
Regarding claim 27:
Keller discloses an apparatus (NF service consumer, element 130 in Fig.10) comprising:
at least one processor (processing unit, element 1001 in Fig.10); and
at least one memory (memory, element 1009 in Fig.10) comprising code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus to:
perform at least some functionality of a second network function (perform function of NF service consumer [0011]);
signal, to a network repository function, a request for information about a first network function (transmit, to first NF service provider, a request for an address of second NF service provider managing the specific functionality for the specific area [0011]);
in response to said signaling, receiving, from the NRF, a second indication of whether the first network function is located in the radio access network (in response to the request, receiving address of second NF service provider supporting specific functionality for indicated network area [0011]);
signal, to the first network function, a request for service in response to the second indication (invoke specific functionality by transmitting a message to second NF service provider based on received address, wherein the message comprises an indication that the specific functionality is to be performed and an indication of the specific network area in which the specific functionality is to be performed [0011]).
Also, Keller mentions NRF supports services and NF discovery towards NFs supporting specific functionality for specific areas of a network both within the 5G core network (5GC) and outside the 5GC, e.g., radio access node [0032]. In addition, Keller states a user Equipment {UE} communicates via a Radio Access Network {RAN} to one or more core networks (CN), wherein RAN covers a geographical area which is divided into service areas or cell areas, with each service area or cell area being served by a radio network node or radio access [0002].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to implement the feature of such method in a RAN including NRF, NF service provider, NF service consumer (as taught in Zhang – US 10,841,791 B1), for enabling a specific functionality for a specific area located in a RAN, based on indication on NF service provider; thus improving the performance and reliability of the communications network in an efficient manner – Keller [0009].
Regarding claims 28-30:
Keller discloses all features of claim 27, and --
Claims 28, 29, and 30 are rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claims 20, 21, and 24, respectively, except that claims 28, 29, and 30 are recited from the perspective of NF service consumer.
Regarding claims 31-32:
Keller discloses all features of claim 30, and --
Claims 31-32 are rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claims 25-26, respectively, except that claims 31-32 are recited from the perspective of NF service consumer.
Regarding claim 33:
Keller disclose an apparatus (NF service provider, element 121 in Fig.9) comprising:
at least one processor (processing unit, element 901 in Fig.9); and
at least one memory (memory, element 908 in Fig.9); comprising code that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the apparatus at least to:
perform at least some functionality of a first network function (perform as NF service provider, element 121 in Fig.9); and
signal, to a network repository function, a first indication of whether the first network function is located in a radio access network (send, to NFR, information regarding network areas supporting specific functionality [0010]).
Also, Keller mentions NRF supports services and NF discovery towards NFs supporting specific functionality for specific areas of a network both within the 5G core network (5GC) and outside the 5GC, e.g., radio access node [0032]. In addition, Keller states a user Equipment {UE} communicates via a Radio Access Network {RAN} to one or more core networks (CN), wherein RAN covers a geographical area which is divided into service areas or cell areas, with each service area or cell area being served by a radio network node or radio access [0002].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time before the claimed invention was filed to implement the feature of performing such method in a RAN including NRF, NF service provider, NF service consumer (as taught in Zhang – US 10,841,791 B1), for enabling a specific functionality for a specific area located in a RAN, based on indication on NF service provider; thus improving the performance and reliability of the communications network in an efficient manner – Keller [0009].
Regarding claims 34-35:
Keller discloses all features of claim 33, and --
Claims 34-35 are rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claims 18-19, except that claims 34-35 are recited from the perspective of NF service provider.
Regarding claim 36:
Keller discloses all features of claim 35, and --
Claim 36 is rejected for substantially same reason as applied to claim 18, except that claim 36 is recited from the perspective of NF service provider.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kodaypak (US-20220014993-A1 [0025-0026]),
Padlikar (US-20210314842-A1 [0019, 0022,0026, 0028])
Tamvada (US-20220386393-A1[0017,0075, 0087, 0117, 0121]),
Zhang (US-20220007326-A1 [0023, 0053]),
Zhu (US-20220346190-A1 [0107, 0118]), and
Zong (US-20200344827-A1 [0096, 0098, 0102, 0134, 0136, 0158, 0212, 0250, 0255])
are all cited to show that signalling, to a second NF, an indication of the first NF network function being located in the radio access networ, which comprises of a NFR, NF service provider, and NF service consumer – so as for the second NF to obtain services specific to NFs located in RAN – would improve the performance and reliability of the communications network in an efficient manner -- similar to the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAMQUYEN THAI whose telephone number is (571)270-7245. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:30pm.
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/C.Q.T./
/YEE F LAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465