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 .
Acknowledgement of Election without Traverse
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-15 and 23 in the reply filed on 6/18/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 16-22 and 24-45 are canceled. Claims 1-5 and 23 are amended. Claims 1-15 and 23 are pending.
Priority
Domestic
Applicant’s claim for domestic priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C.120, 121, or 365(c) or 365 (a) of any PCT Application international application is
acknowledged, which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement submitted on 4/26/2024 has been considered by the Examiner and made of record in the application file.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the predicted future location" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 4-7 are also indefinite, by virtue of their dependency on claim 3.
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 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.
Claims 1-7 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a2) as being anticipated by Zeng, et al (US PG Publication 2022/0383151), hereafter Zeng.
Regarding claim 1, Zeng teaches
a method performed by a first node, the method being for handling roaming of a wireless device from a first communications network, the first node operating in a communications system
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks
[0023] A fully-automatic dynamic AI-driven platform, which: 3) provides steering recommendations made by the machine learning models),
the method comprising:
determining a second communications network to be used by the wireless device for roaming communications
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected),
the determining being based on:
a) a predicted energy supply by the wireless device during a roaming period, and/or
b) a predicted use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period
([0025] As described herein, various embodiments can provide steering recommendations/instructions that are based on projected subscriber-level roaming behaviors and usage forecasts
[0042] Identifying for each of a plurality of projected future wireless roaming subscribers a respective one of the wireless roaming providers to communicate with at the future time. Next, step 2112 comprises each of the recommendations causing a respective one of the steering mechanisms to direct respective equipment associated with each of the projected future wireless roaming subscribers to communicate with a particular one of the wireless roaming providers identified in the selected scenario for that projected future wireless roaming subscriber); and
providing an indication of the determined second communications network to at least one of:
a second node operating in the communications system and the wireless device
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks).
Regarding claim 2, Zeng teaches the method of claim 1,
wherein the determining is further based on a predicted future location of the wireless device during the roaming period
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks
[0042] Step 2106 comprises estimating for each wireless subscriber, based upon the one or more trained models, respective projected location information for a future time. Next, step 2108 comprises modeling a plurality of scenarios for the future time based upon the collective projected location information, each of the scenarios identifying for each of a plurality of projected future wireless roaming subscribers a respective one of the wireless roaming providers to communicate with at the future time).
Regarding claim 3, Zeng teaches the method of claim 1,
wherein the second communications network is determined out of a plurality of other communication networks, the plurality of other communication networks being operated by one or more operators
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks
[0042] Step 2107 comprises obtaining, for each of a plurality of wireless coverage areas of the plurality of wireless roaming providers, respective real-time network quality measurement data), and
the determining comprises determining:
which operators are available and provide coverage to the predicted future location of the wireless device during the roaming period
([0042] Step 2106 comprises estimating for each wireless subscriber, based upon the one or more trained models, respective projected location information for a future time. Next, step 2107 comprises obtaining, for each of a plurality of wireless coverage areas of the plurality of wireless roaming providers, respective real-time network quality measurement data. Next, step 2108 comprises modeling a plurality of scenarios for the future time based upon the collective projected location information, each of the scenarios identifying for each of a plurality of projected future wireless roaming subscribers a respective one of the wireless roaming providers to communicate with at the future time),
which of the available operators providing coverage have a capability to service the predicted use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period, and/or
iii. a respective efficiency of power usage of respective Radio Access Technology, RAT, used by the available operators providing coverage.
Regarding claim 4, Zeng teaches the method of claim 3,
wherein the method further comprises
obtaining, from a third node operating in the communications system
([0035] and FIG. 2A Steering recommendations and/or instructions can be sent from Optimization System 210 to Roaming Controller 216 which can use the steering configurations from Optimization System 210 to facilitate generation of steering recommendations and/or instructions as described herein
(Roaming controller 216 obtains steering recommendations and/or instructions from Optimization System 210/node)),
at least one of:
a) a first indication indicating the predicted energy supply by the wireless device during the roaming period,
b) a second indication indicating the predicted use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period
([0025] As described herein, various embodiments can provide steering recommendations/instructions that are based on projected subscriber-level roaming behaviors and usage forecasts
[0035] and FIG. 2A Steering recommendations and/or instructions can be sent from Optimization System 210 to Roaming Controller 216 which can use the steering configurations from Optimization System 210 to facilitate generation of steering recommendations and/or instructions as described herein
(Roaming controller 216 obtains steering recommendations and/or instructions from Optimization System 210/node, the steering recommendations and/or instructions based on projected subscriber-level roaming behaviors and usage forecasts)), and/or
c) a third indication indicating the predicted future location of the wireless device during the roaming period, and wherein the provided indication is a fourth indication.
Regarding claim 5, Zeng teaches the method of claim 4,
wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining a list of available operators
([0035] and FIG. 2A Steering recommendations and/or instructions can be sent from Optimization System 210 to Roaming Controller 216 which can use the steering configurations from Optimization System 210 to facilitate generation of steering recommendations and/or instructions as described herein
[0042] Step 2112 comprises each of the recommendations causing a respective one of the steering mechanisms to direct respective equipment associated with each of the projected future wireless roaming subscribers to communicate with a particular one of the wireless roaming providers identified in the selected scenario for that projected future wireless roaming subscriber
(Roaming controller 216 obtains steering recommendations and/or instructions from Optimization System 210/node, the steering recommendations and/or instructions including providers)), and
the list comprises:
all available operators at the predicted future location of the wireless device during the roaming period
([0042] Step 2106 comprises estimating for each wireless subscriber, based upon the one or more trained models, respective projected location information for a future time. Next, step 2108 comprises each of the scenarios identifying a respective one of the wireless roaming providers to communicate with at the future time. Step 2112 comprises each of the recommendations causing a respective one of the steering mechanisms to direct respective equipment associated with each of the projected future wireless roaming subscribers to communicate with a particular one of the wireless roaming providers identified in the selected scenario for that projected future wireless roaming subscriber
(The obtained providers including wireless roaming providers identified in a selected scenario for a projected future wireless roaming subscriber for which a projected location for a projected future time is estimated)), and/or
b. a subset of the available operators a first operator of the first communications network has a roaming agreement with
([0042] Next, step 2110 comprises selecting a scenario that has associated therewith a lowest total cost to the wireless provider also satisfying one or more of the plurality of model constraints based upon the collective roaming agreement data. Next, step 2112 comprises sending recommendations, to a plurality of steering mechanisms, in order to implement the selected scenario, each of the recommendations causing a respective one of the steering mechanisms to direct respective equipment associated with each of the projected future wireless roaming subscribers to communicate with a particular one of the wireless roaming providers identified in the selected scenario for that projected future wireless roaming subscriber
(The obtained providers including wireless roaming providers selected in a selected scenario based upon a roaming agreement)).
Regarding claim 6, Zeng teaches the method of claim 5,
wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining respective billing information from the available operators, and the determining is further based on the obtained respective billing information from the available operators
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected
[0049] Next, step 2214 comprises selecting from the scenarios, as a group of potential target scenarios, each scenario that meets the threshold target network performance. Next, step 2216 comprises selecting from the group of potential target scenarios, as a selected target scenario, a particular scenario that has associated therewith a particular cost to the provider of wireless services that satisfies a pre-determined cost constraint also satisfying one or more of the plurality of model constraints based upon the aggregated roaming agreement data. Next, step 2218 comprises the recommendations causing the steering mechanisms to direct a corresponding mobile device associated with each of the projected future roaming customers to communicate with a particular one of the providers of roaming services identified in the selected target scenario for that projected future roaming customer
(Target roaming network selected, based on cost to provider)).
Regarding claim 7, Zeng teaches the method of claim 4,
wherein
a. the first node is a radio access broker,
b. the second node manages a database, the database being at least one of:
i) layered and ii) immutable and synchronized, and/or
c. the third node manages one or more neural networks
([0035] and FIG. 2A Steering recommendations and/or instructions can be sent from Optimization System 210 to Roaming Controller 216 which can use the steering configurations from Optimization System 210 to facilitate generation of steering recommendations and/or instructions as described herein
[0122] The embodiments in connection with automatically steering each of a plurality of mobile communication devices to a respective target roaming network that is selected from a plurality of candidate roaming networks can employ various AI-based schemes for carrying out various embodiments thereof. Moreover, the classifier can be employed to determine a ranking or priority of each target and/or candidate roaming network. Other directed and undirected model classification approaches comprise neural networks).
Regarding claim 23, Zeng teaches
a first node, for handling roaming of a wireless device from a first communications network, the first node being configured to operate in a communications system
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks
[0023] A fully-automatic dynamic AI-driven platform, which: 3) provides steering recommendations made by the machine learning models),
the first node being further configured to:
determine a second communications network to be used by the wireless device for roaming communications
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected),
the determining being configured to be based on:
a) a predicted energy supply by the wireless device during a roaming period, and/or
b) a predicted use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period
([0025] As described herein, various embodiments can provide steering recommendations/instructions that are based on projected subscriber-level roaming behaviors and usage forecasts
[0042] Identifying for each of a plurality of projected future wireless roaming subscribers a respective one of the wireless roaming providers to communicate with at the future time. Next, step 2112 comprises each of the recommendations causing a respective one of the steering mechanisms to direct respective equipment associated with each of the projected future wireless roaming subscribers to communicate with a particular one of the wireless roaming providers identified in the selected scenario for that projected future wireless roaming subscriber); and
provide an indication of the second communications network configured to be determined to at least one of: a second node configured to operate in the communications system and the wireless device
([0018] Mechanism to steer each of a plurality of mobile communication devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets, cell phones or the like) to a respective target roaming network that is selected from among a plurality of candidate roaming networks).
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.
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.
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 nonobviousness.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng, in view of Mahamkali, et al (US Patent No. 11,184,823), hereafter Mahamkali.
Regarding claim 8, Zeng teaches the method of claim 1.
Zeng does not teach
wherein the determined second communications network lacks a current roaming agreement with the first communications network, and
the method further comprises requesting a respective roaming agreement from the determined second communications network to provide roaming services to the wireless device during the roaming period.
In the same field of endeavor, Mahamkali teaches
wherein the determined second communications network lacks a current roaming agreement with the first communications network
(Col. 2, lines 17-21 AI identifies SP updates needed from statistics concerning SP misses for the particular SP for which no roaming service agreement has been established with the AP. AI can also identify updates needed to existing roaming agreements based on historical usage), and
the method further comprises requesting a respective roaming agreement from the determined second communications network to provide roaming services to the wireless device during the roaming period
(Col. 2, lines 7-10 A request for roaming service agreements intended for an ANQP server to initiate offloading an ongoing call from a cellular network associated with a SP for the station to the Wi-Fi network is received).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Zeng, which includes determining a roaming network, based on predicted usage, to include Mahamkali’s teaching of determining a roaming network, based on predicted usage and requesting a roaming agreement, for the benefit of having AI optimize configurations of service providers based on historical usage, the historical data being used as training data for machine learning to predict or respond to future network usage scenarios (see Col. 6, lines 27-30).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-15 are allowed.
Statement of Reasons for Allowance
The following is an Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 9-15 are allowed, for the reasons explained below.
More specifically:
With respect to independent claim 9 and the teachings of the most pertinent prior art:
Bararsani, et al (WO 2015/130203), hereafter Bararsani, teaches
a method performed by a third node, the method being for handling roaming of a wireless device from a first communications network, the third node operating in a communications system,
the method comprising:
determining, using machine learning:
a) a first predictive model of energy supply by the wireless device during a roaming period.
Zeng, et al (US PG Publication 2022/0383151), hereafter Zeng, teaches
b) a second predictive model of use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period.
However, Bararsani and Zeng, whether taken alone or in combination, do not teach or suggest the following novel features, when combined with the rest of the limitations in currently amended claim 9, including
providing to a first node operating in the communications system:
a first indication indicating an energy supply by the wireless device during the roaming period, as predicted with the first predictive model, and
a second indication indicating a use of data by the wireless device during the roaming period as predicted with the second predictive model.
Claims 10-15 are allowed, by virtue of their dependency on claim 9.
Conclusion
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art not Applied
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kumar, et al (US PG Publication 2018/0295548), hereafter Kumar, teaches a communication device within a defined geographic area that connects to access points and executes a predictive roaming application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Frank Donado whose telephone number is (571) 270-5361. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays through Fridays between 8 am and 4 pm.
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/FRANK E DONADO/Examiner, Art Unit 2641
/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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