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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim 74 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
In claim 74, a "computer-readable medium" is being recited; the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer readable medium typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals per se in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media.
Therefore, a transitory computer readable medium would reasonably be interpreted by one of ordinary skill in the art as signal, per se. Thus, this subject matter "computer-readable medium" is not limited to that which falls within a statutory category of invention because it is limited to a process, machine, manufacture, or a composition of matter. Signal per se is a function descriptive material and a function descriptive material is non-statutory subject matter.
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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 7, 47, 48, 53 and 74 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by Chun (US2023/0262640)(hereafter Chun).
Regarding claim 1, 47 and 74, Chun discloses a method comprising:
receiving, at a user equipment (see, Fig. 12A, UE, 1210), parallel registration information indicating (see, Fig. 12A, multi registration indication, S1209)) at least: one or more first network slices associated with a first access management function instance (see, Fig. 12A, the UE, 1210 receiving registration accept messages (allowed slices, multi registration Indication , see CN (PLMAA) 1232-1 sending registration accept, see, para [0202], CN 1232-1 (e.g. AMF of the PLMNA))); and
one or more second network slices associated with a second access management function instance (see, Fig. 12A, the CN (PLMNB), 1232-2) and registrable in parallel with the one or more first network slices (see, para [0206], Accordingly, the UDM 1234 may identify whether multi-network registration is accepted based on the context information generated upon subscription, and may transmit the multi-registration indicator. If multi-network registration is allowed and all network slice services desired by the UE 1210 are not provided by the currently accessed network, the UE 1210 may attempt additional network registration while maintaining registration on the currently accessed network).
Chun further discloses a computer readable medium comprising program instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor of an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the method as per claim 74 (see, para [0013], [0097], [0098]).
Regarding claims 2 and 48, Chun further discloses the method further comprising: receiving the parallel registration (see, Fig. 12A, see, para [0206], If multi-network registration is allowed and all network slice services desired by the UE 1210 are not provided by the currently accessed network, the UE 1210 may attempt additional network registration while maintaining registration on the currently accessed network) information after transmitting, from the user equipment (see, Fig. 12A, UE, 1210 transmits the registration request, S1201), an indication of support at the user equipment for parallel registration to a plurality of network slices associated with a plurality of access management function instances ((see, Fig. 12A, multi registration indication, S1209, see, fig. 12A, the plural allowed slices associated with the CN(PLMNA), 1232-1 and CN (PLMNB), 1232-2));
wherein the receiving the parallel registration information is after the transmitting (see, Fig. 12A, the registration accept including multi registration indication (s1209)).
Regarding claims 7 and 53, Chun further discloses the method wherein the parallel registration information indicates at least: a first group of network slices associated with a first access management function instance and registrable in parallel with each other ( [0216], the UE 1210 may divide slices to be used into two groups and request registration of some slice(s) from the PAIN A and registration of the remaining slice(s) from the PLMN B. That is, in an operation of registering with a plurality of networks, it is not essential to reject registration of some of the requested slices); and a second group of network slices associated with a second access management function instance wherein the network slices of the second group are registrable in parallel with each other and in parallel with any network slice of the first group (see, [0216], the UE 1210 may divide slices to be used into two groups and request registration of some slice(s) from the PAIN A and registration of the remaining slice(s) from the PLMN B. That is, in an operation of registering with a plurality of networks, it is not essential to reject registration of some of the requested slices, Fig. 12A, multi registration indication (S1209), para [0195], simultaneous access to or registration with a plurality of networks is allowed (hereinafter referred to as ‘multiple network access information’) is set to allow simultaneous access of the terminal, the terminal may perform operation for network slice registration through the second operator network, [0196], when registering with the second network is additionally performed while maintaining registration with the first network, the terminal sets the network connection identifier to a value not used for the registered network (e.g. 0×11), and transmits a registration request message).
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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 non-obviousness.
Claim(s) 3, 49 and 55 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chun in view of Lee et al. (US 10595268)(hereafter Lee).
Regarding claims 3 and 49, Chun does not explicitly disclose the method, further comprising: including the indication in a registration request message inside a radio resource control connection setup complete message of a procedure to set up a first radio resource control connection; and receiving the parallel registration information in a registration accept message from an access management function instance in response to the registration request message.
However, in same field of endeavor, lee teaches, col. 24 lines 35-55, Upon receipt of the Registration Accept message, the UE 300 sets the value received from the AMF 310 internally to complete the registration procedure and sends the AMF 310 a Registration Complete message at step S306. The UE 300 may determine the network slices available in the allocated registration area based on the information transmitted by the AMF 310 and notice that only these network slices are available in a specific region. Accordingly, the UE 300 uses only the network slices available in the corresponding regions of the registration area allocated by the AMF. (179) Although the UE may send the Registration Request message to the AMF, whenever it wants, to request for authorization for use of another network slice, if it knows that the target network slice is unavailable in the current registration area, the UE may not make a request for the corresponding network slice. If the UE moves out of the registration area allocated by the AMF, it may send the Registration Request message again and, in this case, the request may be made for use of a network slice that is not available in the old registration area; for this purpose, the requested NSSAI includes the corresponding network slice.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed inventio to combine the teachings of Lee with the Chun, as a whole, so as to configure the registration request message and response as claimed, the motivation is to facilitate the terminal registration procedure in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 55, Chun further discloses the apparatus according to claim 49, wherein the registration request message comprises at least: an indication of one or more requested network slices (see, Fig. 12A, multi registration indication, S1209, see, fig. 12A, the plural allowed slices associated with the CN(PLMNA), 1232-1 and CN (PLMNB), 1232-2).
10. Claim(s) 4 and 50 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chun and Lee and further in view of Qualcomm, “Support for slice co-existence” (hereafter Qualcomm) (see IDS).
Regarding claims 4 and 50, the combined teachings do not disclose the method, wherein the parallel registration information comprises: at least a first network slice group value for the first one or more network slices; and at least a second network slice group value for the one or more second network slices.
However, in same field of endeavor, Qualcomm teaches, page 2, proposal 2, network provides information of which S-NSSAI can co-exist (i.e. those S-NSSAI is that can be used simultaneously in the PLMN/area with potentially a different AMF). paragraph 5.15.12.1 discloses that whether a single value which is a representation of a collection of the S-N SSAIs could also be used as NSSAI is FFS. Clearly, the group of the AMF can be assigned a single value.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art to combine the teachings of Qualcomm with the Chun, as a whole, so as to use the network slice group value information to be registered with the UE, the motivation is to provide slice coexistence based on network policies and deployments.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 8, 51, 52, 54, 56 and 57 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Srivatava et al. (US2022/0417726) discloses dual access and mobility management function support for supporting 5G core deployment.
Kuge et al. (US 2022/0377656) discloses user equipment
Talebi Fard et al. (US 11490291) discloses handover for closed access loop.
Lanev et al. (US 2022/0322221) discloses AMF apparatus, access network node and methods.
Kuge (US 2022/0295279) discloses user equipment, intra-core network apparatus.
Tamura et al. (US2022/0279430) discloses communication method, core network node and wireless device.
Lee et al. (US 10595268) discloses network slice available area information acquisition.
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/DHAVAL V PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631