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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 43-62 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 43-46, 48-51, 55-62 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOSKINEN et al. (US Pub No. 2018/0220320) in view of KUMAR et al. (US Pub No. 2021/0051466).
Claim 43, KOSKINEN et al. discloses a method for a user equipment (UE) (See Fig. 1, UE 110) configured with user credentials for a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) (par [0021] “the eNB 170 is a base station that provides access by wireless device to the wireless network 170”), the method comprising: while registered in first and second PLMNs, in a connected state for the second PLMN (par [0030] “the UE is registered in the network and associated link 176 which interface other wireless networks”), and in a reduced-energy state for the first PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (par [0032] “in a reduced-energy state for the first PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN by performed of a UE is initially in an RRC_CONNECTED state with an eNB, and at 204, the eNB decides to release the UE to an RRC_IDLE state; and the eNB transmits an RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE at 206”); initiating a timer upon transmitting the indication (par [0079] “RRC state, and wherein the timer is an RRc release timer and adjusting a value of the timer based on the at least one report in (par 0081]); and initiating a recovery procedure towards the second PLMN based on expiration of the timer without receiving a responsive message from the second PLMN (par [0060] “in response to each instance the timer is reset, updating data based on the value of timer when the timer was reset, wherein one of the instances the timer is reset comprises at least one of: resetting the timer in response to expiry of the timer; and resetting the timer before expiry of the timer”). However, KOSKINEN unclearly discloses while registered in first and second PLMNs, in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN. In the same field of invention, KUMAR clearly discloses while registered in first and second PLMNs, in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (KUMAR’s Abstract discloses methods and systems for recovering from SOR failures are provided. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprises detecting a steering of roaming (SOR) failure during registering with a first visitor-public land mobile network (VPLMN) or after registration with the first VPLMN, wherein the UE operates in a manual mode; switching the manual mode to an automatic mode based on a determination that the SOR failure occurs; and performing PLMN selection procedure to obtain service on a second VPLMN which is a higher priority than the first VPLMN, while registered in first and second PLMNs (par [0063], in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (par [0063] applied the recovery procedure includes periodically triggering PLMN search which detecting a steering of roaming (SOR ) in scenario, the UE stays camped and registered on any of the PLMN's where SOR failure has been encountered (first or second PLMN in the current case) and may periodically attempt SOR information recovery, and further detail in par [0064]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide of KUMAR to the system of KOSKINEN in order to recovering from steering of roaming related failures.
Claim 44, 60, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, wherein one or more of the following applies:the reduced-energy state for the second PLMN is one of the following: RRC_IDLE,RRC_INACTIVE, or RRC_IDLE with stored context; and the recovery procedure comprises establishing, re-establishing, or setting up the connected state with the second PLMN (par [0043] “ the network implements repeating RRC ConnectionRelease procedures. For instance, this information may include a time value from when the UE transitioned to RRC_IDLE”).
Claim 45, LOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, wherein the indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN is transmitted in a UEAssistancelnformation message (par [0043] “the network implements repeating RRC ConnectionRelease procedures”).
Claim 46, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, further comprising receiving a timer value from the second PLMN in an RRCReconfiguration message or an RRCResume message, wherein the timer is initiated to the received timer value (par [0045] “a message sent from UE to network during connection establishment by RRCConnectionSetupComplete message, and re-establishment RRCReestablishmentComplete message”).
Claim 48, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, further comprising, when the responsive message is received from the second PLMN while the timer is running, applying the contents of the responsive message and stopping the timer (par [0049] “ the inactivity timer may be a UE-based timer, a fixed timer pre-configured at the UE; or the inactivity timer may be a network configured timer, where the value of the timer is configurable by the network based on different conditions or scenarios”).
Claim 49, 58, 62, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 48, wherein one or more of the following applies:the responsive message indicates that the UE should enter the reduced-energy state for the second PLMN; and the responsive message is an RRCRelease message or an RRCReconfiguration message (par [0043] “ the network implements repeating RRC ConnectionRelease procedures”).
Claim 48, 57, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, further comprising, when the responsive message is received from the second PLMN while the timer is running, applying the contents of the responsive message and stopping the timer (par [0049] “the inactivity timer may be a UE-based timer, a fixed timer pre-configured at the UE; or the inactivity timer”).
Claim 49, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 48, wherein one or more of the following applies: the responsive message indicates that the UE should enter the reduced-energy state for the second PLMN; and the responsive message is an RRCRelease message or an RRCReconfiguration message (par [0043] “the network implements repeating RRC ConnectionRelease procedures”).
Claim 50, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, wherein one of more of the following applies: the recovery procedure towards the second PLMN is a non-access stratum, NAS, recovery procedure; and initiating the recovery procedure towards the second PLMN comprises entering a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN ((par [0032] “in a reduced-energy state for the first PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN by performed of a UE is initially in an RRC_CONNECTED state with an eNB, and at 204, the eNB decides to release the UE to an RRC_IDLE state”).
Claim 51, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 50, wherein the recovery procedure initiated towards the second PLMN is performed upon the expiration of the timer without receiving a responsive message from the second PLMN (par [0060] “the timer is reset comprises at least one of: resetting the timer in response to expiry of the timer; and resetting the timer before expiry of the timer”).
Claim 55, KOSKINEN et al. further discloses the method of claim 43, wherein the recovery procedure towards the second PLMN is initiated further based on one of the following: relative priorities of the first PLMN and the second PLMN; or relative priorities of respective UE services in the first PLMN and the second PLMN (par [0033] “the network considers the UE to be in RRC_CONNECTED. This can occur when a UE autonomously moves to RRC_IDLE based on long inactivity or poor radio conditions without receiving RRC connection release message from the network”).
Claim 56, KOSKINEN et al. discloses a method for a network node configured to operate in a second public land mobile network (PLMN) and to manage a user equipment (UE) (See Fig. 1, UE 110) configured with user credentials for a plurality of PLMNs (par [0021] “the eNB 170 is a base station that provides access by wireless device to the wireless network 170”), the method comprising: while the UE is registered in the second PLMN and in a first PLMN and while the UE is in a connected state for the second PLMN (par [0030] “the UE is registered in the network and associated link 176 which interface other wireless networks”), receiving from the UE an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (par [0032] “in a reduced-energy state for the first PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN by performed of a UE is initially in an RRC_CONNECTED state with an eNB, and at 204, the eNB decides to release the UE to an RRC_IDLE state; and the eNB transmits an RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE at 206”); initiating a timer associated with the UE upon receiving the indication (par [0079] “RRC state, and wherein the timer is an RRc release timer and adjusting a value of the timer based on the at least one report in (par 0081]); and refraining from performing one or more connected-state operations with the UE while the timer is running (par [0060] “in response to each instance the timer is reset, updating data based on the value of timer when the timer was reset, wherein one of the instances the timer is reset comprises at least one of: resetting the timer in response to expiry of the timer with the timer is running; and resetting the timer before expiry of the timer”).
Claim 59, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 43.
Claim 61, KOSKINEN et al. discloses a network node (See Fig. 1, item 170) configured to operate in a second public land mobile network (PLMN) and to manage a user equipment (UE) configured with user credentials for a plurality of PLMNs PLMNs (par [0021] “the eNB 170 is a base station that provides access by wireless device to the wireless network 170”), the network node comprising: communication interface circuitry configured to communicate with the UE(par [0021] “the eNB 170 is a base station that provides access by wireless device to the wireless network 170”); and processing circuitry operatively coupled to the communication interface circuitry, whereby the processing circuitry and the communication interface circuitry (See Fig. 1, items 111, 158, 131) are configured to: while the UE is registered in the second PLMN and in a first PLMN and while the UE is in a connected state for the second PLMN PLMN (par [0030] “the UE is registered in the network and associated link 176 which interface other wireless networks”), receive from the UE an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN(par [0032] “in a reduced-energy state for the first PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN by performed of a UE is initially in an RRC_CONNECTED state with an eNB, and at 204, the eNB decides to release the UE to an RRC_IDLE state; and the eNB transmits an RRCConnectionRelease message to the UE at 206”); initiate a timer associated with the UE upon receiving the indication (par [0079] “RRC state, and wherein the timer is an RRc release timer and adjusting a value of the timer based on the at least one report in (par 0081]); and refrain from performing one or more connected-state operations with the UE while the timer is running (par [0060] “in response to each instance the timer is reset, updating data based on the value of timer when the timer was reset, wherein one of the instances the timer is reset comprises at least one of: resetting the timer in response to expiry of the timer with the timer is running; and resetting the timer before expiry of the timer”). However, KOSKINEN unclearly discloses while registered in first and second PLMNs, in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN. In the same field of invention, KUMAR clearly discloses while registered in first and second PLMNs, in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (KUMAR’s Abstract discloses methods and systems for recovering from SOR failures are provided. A method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprises detecting a steering of roaming (SOR) failure during registering with a first visitor-public land mobile network (VPLMN) or after registration with the first VPLMN, wherein the UE operates in a manual mode; switching the manual mode to an automatic mode based on a determination that the SOR failure occurs; and performing PLMN selection procedure to obtain service on a second VPLMN which is a higher priority than the first VPLMN, while registered in first and second PLMNs (par [0063], in a connected state for the second PLMN, transmitting to the second PLMN an indication that the UE wants to enter a reduced-energy state for the second PLMN (par [0063] applied the recovery procedure includes periodically triggering PLMN search which detecting a steering of roaming (SOR ) in scenario, the UE stays camped and registered on any of the PLMN's where SOR failure has been encountered (first or second PLMN in the current case) and may periodically attempt SOR information recovery, and further detail in par [0064]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide of KUMAR to the system of KOSKINEN in order to recovering from steering of roaming related failures.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 47, 52-54 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.
Claim 47, wherein the timer value is included in a series of nested information elements for a multiple subscriber identity module (Multi-SIM) configuration.
Claim 52, further comprising: entering the connected state for the first PLMN such that the recovery procedure initiated towards the second PLMN is pending; and performing the pending recovery procedure towards the second PLMN upon exiting the connected state for the first PLMN.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yao et al. (US Patent No. 12,542,727) discloses performance measurements related to quality of service flow and service request.
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/PHUOC H DOAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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