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 .
This Office action is in response to the amendment filed on 07/07/2026. Claim 12 is canceled.
Claims 1-11 and 13-20 are presented for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/12/2026 is compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
The rejection under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph is withdrawn in view of the amendment.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by YING et al. (US 2024/0205639 A1).
As to claim 1, YING discloses the invention as claimed, including a method for processing a sensing service (Abstract, “provides a UE sensing method and a communication apparatus. An SF network element, an NEF network element, an AMF network element, an SMF network element, a RAN network element, or the like may perform sensing detection on UE for a sensing requester or the UE, and provide a corresponding sensing service for the sensing requester or the UE”), comprising:
receiving, by a sensing control function (SCF) (Figs. 3-4a, Sensing network element (SF network element), NEF), a sensing service request message (¶0230-¶0231) sent by a first device (Fig. 4a, AF/AS, UE) (Fig. 4a, 22; ¶0229, “22. The AF/AS sends a first sensing service request message to an NEF, where the first sensing service request message is used to request a first sensing service”; ¶0231, “the first sensing service request message further includes information such as a service type, a service requirement, a QoS requirement, and location information of the UE”; ¶0273; ¶0307; ¶0344; ¶0385; ¶0447, “the UE may directly request the first sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element…the UE requests the first sensing service from the SF network element by using the control plane”; ¶0487, “302. The AF or the AS sends a sensing service request message 1 to an NEF based on the sensing requirement from the UE or a sensing requirement of the AF or the AS”; ¶0619);
sending, by the SCF (Figs. 3-4a, Sensing network element (SF network element), NEF), sensing service control information to a sensing device (Fig. 3, “AMF, RAN, UDM/UDR, GMLC network elements; Fig. 4a, first network element (AMF network element or RAN network element)), wherein the sensing service control information is generated by the SCF according to the sensing service request message (¶0230-¶0231) (Fig. 4a, 25-26; Fig. 4b, 76-77; ¶0030, “The SF network element sends a sensing control request message to the first network element”; ¶0262, “if the SF network element determines the first RAN network element in step 25, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first RAN in step 26”; ¶0291, “77. The SF network element sends a sensing control request message to the first network element”; ¶0328; ¶0333; ¶0552, “1011. The sensing network element sends a sensing control request message to a first network element (for example, a RAN network element or the AMF network element)”; ¶0610, “The sensing control request message 1 includes the location information of the UE. Optionally, information such as the UE ID, the service type, the service requirement, and the QoS requirement may be further included”), and the sensing service control information is used to indicate the sensing device to obtain sensing measurement data (¶0030, “The SF network element sends a sensing control request message to the first network element, where the sensing control request message is used to control a RAN network element to perform a sensing operation of the first sensing service”; ¶0291, “The sensing control request message is used to control the RAN network element to perform a sensing operation of the first sensing service”; ¶0611, “the RAN senses, based on the sensing control request message 1, a location indicated by the location information of the UE, to obtain first sensing data”); and
receiving, by the SCF (Figs. 3-4a, Sensing network element (SF network element), NEF), the sensing measurement data (i.e. location information of the UE, sensing data), sent by the sensing device (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0044, “The SF network element receives first sensing data and the sensing correlation identifier from the first network element”; ¶0241, “the NEF sends the location information of the UE to the SF network element by using the second sensing service request message”; ¶0252, “the SF network element may obtain the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF network element, or the LMF…the SF network element sends a location request message to the GMLC, the AMF, or the LMF, where the UE location request message includes a UE ID. The GMLC, AMF, or LMF initiates positioning of the UE based on the location request message, to obtain a location of the UE, and provides the location for the SF network element”; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0352; ¶0588, “411. The sensing network element obtains the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF, or an LMF”; ¶0589),
wherein the sending, by the SCF (SF network element), the sensing service control information (i.e., sensing control request message) to the sensing device (i.e., RAN network element) comprises:
sending, by the SCF (SF network element) through an access and mobility management function (i.e., AMF network element), the sensing service control information (i.e., sensing control request message) to the sensing device (¶0263, “if the SF network element determines the first AMF network element in step 25, in step 26, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first AMF, and the AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”), wherein
the sensing device comprises at least one of the following:
a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device (¶0380, “The RAN network element reports the first sensing data to the SF network element”; ¶0482, “the UE obtains the sensing resource from the RAN network element, and performs sensing based on the sensing resource, to obtain the sensing data. Alternatively, the UE sends the sensing signal based on the sensing resource, the RAN network element receives the sensing signal and obtains the sensing data, and the RAN network element further provides the obtained sensing data for the UE”; ¶0714, “the sensing network element receives the sensing service request message 1 from the UE. In step 606, the sensing network element selects the AMF network element (a RAN network element needs to be further determined) or the RAN network element and controls the RAN network element to perform sensing, to obtain the sensing data of the first sensing service”); and
wherein before the sending, by the SCF, the sensing service control information (Fig. 4a, 26; Fig. 4b, 77) to the sensing device (i.e., RAN network element), the method further comprises:
selecting, by the SCF, the sensing device according to the sensing service request message sent by the first device (Fig. 4a, 25; Fig. 4b, 76; ¶0032, “the sensing service request message includes a second identifier of the UE, and that the SF network element determines a first network element based on the sensing service request message”; ¶0244, “25. The SF network element determines the first network element based on the second sensing service request message”; ¶0249; ¶0262, “if the SF network element determines the first RAN network element in step 25, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first RAN in step 26”; ¶0263, “if the SF network element determines the first AMF network element in step 25, in step 26, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first AMF, and the AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”; ¶0288, “the SF network element determines a first network element based on the third sensing service request message”; ¶0294, “if the SF network element determines the first SMF network element in step 76, in step 77, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first SMF, and the first SMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”).
As to claim 2, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the sensing service control information is further used to indicate at least one of the following: the sensing device configures a sensing measurement resource; or the sensing device performs sensing measurement (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0044, “The SF network element receives first sensing data and the sensing correlation identifier from the first network element”; ¶0252, “the SF network element may obtain the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF network element, or the LMF…the SF network element sends a location request message to the GMLC, the AMF, or the LMF, where the UE location request message includes a UE ID. The GMLC, AMF, or LMF initiates positioning of the UE based on the location request message, to obtain a location of the UE, and provides the location for the SF network element”; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0352).
As to claim 3, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the SCF, the sensing service request message sent by the first device comprises: directly receiving, by the SCF, the sensing service request message sent by the first device; receiving, by the SCF through a network exposure function, the sensing service request message sent by the first device; or receiving, by the SCF through an access and mobility management function, the sensing service request message sent by the first device (¶0447, “the UE may directly request the first sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element…the UE requests the first sensing service from the SF network element by using the control plane”), wherein the first device comprises an application function (AF) or a consumer terminal device (Fig. 4a, AF/AS, UE; ¶0229, “22. The AF/AS sends a first sensing service request message to an NEF, where the first sensing service request message is used to request a first sensing service”; ¶0273; ¶0307; ¶0344; ¶0385; ¶0447, “the UE may directly request the first sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element…the UE requests the first sensing service from the SF network element by using the control plane”; ¶0487, “302. The AF or the AS sends a sensing service request message 1 to an NEF based on the sensing requirement from the UE or a sensing requirement of the AF or the AS”; ¶0619).
As to claim 4, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the sensing service request message comprises at least one of the following: description information of the sensing service, an identifier of a consumer terminal device, or target range information of the sensing service; wherein the target range information of the sensing service comprises range information corresponding to position information of the consumer terminal device; or, wherein the description information of the sensing service comprises at least one of the following: type information of the sensing service; information about a sensing object; sensing quantity information of the sensing object; purpose or usage information of the sensing service; granularity information of the sensing service; execution time information of the sensing service; related reporting information of the sensing measurement data; or quality of service (QoS) information of the sensing service (¶0018-¶0019, “request message includes one or more of the following: a first identifier of the UE, a sensing service type, a sensing distance, a sensing area, a sensing speed range, sensing distance resolution, angle measurement accuracy of sensing, sensing speed resolution, a QoS requirement, sensing object identification accuracy, a sensing object identification false alarm rate, sensing data accuracy, a sensing data update frequency, a sensing dimension, a sensing feedback manner, a sensing requester type, a sensing requester identifier, a sensing application type, and a sensing application identifier”; ¶0020; ¶0231, “the first sensing service request message further includes information such as a service type, a service requirement, a QoS requirement, and location information of the UE”).
As to claim 5, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein before the sending, by the SCF, the sensing service control information to a sensing device, the method further comprises selecting, by the SCF, the sensing device according to an identifier or address information that is of the sensing device and that is obtained at the access and mobility management function (Fig. 4a, 25; Fig. 4b, 76; ¶0032, “the SF network element determines a first network element based on the sensing service request message includes”; ¶0033, “The SF network element determines the first network element based on the second identifier of the UE”; ¶0037, “the sensing service request message includes an identifier of the UE, and that the SF network element determines a first network element based on the sensing service request message includes”; ¶0249, “the SF network element determines the AMF network element based on the second identifier of the UE. Specifically, the SF network element determines an identifier of a serving AMF of the UE based on the second identifier of the UE, where the identifier is denoted as a serving AMF ID below”; ¶0257, “the SF network element determines the SMF network element based on the second identifier of the UE. Specifically, the SF network element determines an identifier of a serving SMF of the UE based on the second identifier of the UE, where the identifier is denoted as a serving SMF ID below”).
As to claim 6, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, by the SCF, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device comprises at least one of the following: receiving, by the SCF through a control plane tunnel, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device; or receiving, by the SCF through a user plane tunnel, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device (¶0182, “The 5G-RAN is connected to a UPF through a user plane interface N3, and is configured to transmit data of the terminal device. The 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection to an AMF through a control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control”; ¶0184; ¶0198; ¶0447, “sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element, and receive the second sensing data of the first sensing service from the sensing network element”; ¶0751).
As to claim 7, YING discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein when the sensing device is a sensing terminal device (¶0002, “communication sensing, and more specifically, to a terminal device sensing method and a communication apparatus”; ¶0005, “provides a terminal device sensing method and a communication apparatus, to support sensing for UE in an end-to-end manner”), the control plane tunnel comprises a non-access stratum (NAS) signaling tunnel of the sensing terminal device (It is noted that the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a control plane network element, is the primary entity that includes and terminates the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) signalling tunnel from the UE for registration, connection, and mobility management that is well known in the art; ¶0182, “The 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection to an AMF through a control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control”; ¶0191, “control plane network element (such as an AMF or an SMF) of a network to manage and control the UE”; ¶0198).
As to claim 8, YING discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein when the sensing device is a sensing terminal device, the user plane tunnel comprises a packet data PDU session tunnel of the sensing terminal device (¶0205, “This is an interface between the SMF and the AMF, and may be used to transfer PDU session tunnel information between the RAN and the UPF, transfer a control message sent to the terminal, transfer radio resource control information sent to the RAN, and the like”).
As to claim 9, YING discloses the method according to claim 6, wherein the receiving, by the SCF through a control plane tunnel, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device comprises: receiving, by the SCF through an access and mobility management function (i.e., AMF), the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device (i.e., RAN network element), wherein the control plane tunnel comprises a control plane tunnel between the SCF and the access and mobility management function; or, wherein the receiving, by the SCF through a user plane tunnel, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device comprises: receiving, by the SCF through a user plane function, the sensing measurement data sent by the sensing device, wherein the user plane tunnel comprises a user plane tunnel between the SCF and the user plane function (Fig. 4b, 76-77; ¶0182, “The 5G-RAN is connected to a UPF through a user plane interface N3, and is configured to transmit data of the terminal device. The 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection to an AMF through a control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control”; ¶0184; ¶0198; ¶0293, “if the first network element in step 76 is the AMF network element (for example, the first AMF), in step 77, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first AMF network element, and the first AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”; ¶0377, “the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the AMF if the first network element is the AMF network element, and the AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the RAN network element”; ¶0447, “sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element, and receive the second sensing data of the first sensing service from the sensing network element”; ¶0751).
As to claim 10, YING discloses the method according to claim 8, wherein the sensing measurement data is sent by the sensing terminal device according to a UE route selection policy (URSP), and the method further comprises: requesting, by the SCF from a policy control function, the URSP corresponding to the sensing terminal device, wherein the URSP comprises a corresponding data path selection policy according to which the sensing device sends the sensing measurement data to the SCF; receiving, by the SCF, the URSP sent by the policy control function; and sending, by the SCF, the received URSP to the sensing terminal device (¶0184; ¶0188, “An application function (application function, AF) interacts with a core network element to provide some services, for example, interacts with a policy and control function (policy and control function, PCF) to perform service policy control, interacts with an NEF to obtain some network capability information, or provide some application information for a network, and provides some data network access point information for a PCF to generate routing information of a corresponding data service”; ¶0191; ¶0193; 0199; ¶0201; ¶0208, “N15: This is an interface between the PCF and the AMF, and may be used to deliver a terminal policy and an access control-related policy”).
As to claim 11, YING discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the SCF to the first device, at least one of the following: the sensing measurement data; or a sensing service analysis result obtained by the SCF according to the sensing measurement data (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0044, “The SF network element receives first sensing data and the sensing correlation identifier from the first network element”; ¶0252, “the SF network element may obtain the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF network element, or the LMF…the SF network element sends a location request message to the GMLC, the AMF, or the LMF, where the UE location request message includes a UE ID. The GMLC, AMF, or LMF initiates positioning of the UE based on the location request message, to obtain a location of the UE, and provides the location for the SF network element”; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0352).
As to claim 13, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth in claim 1 above. In addition, YING discloses a method for processing a sensing service, comprising:
receiving, by a sensing device (i.e., AMF, RAN network), sensing service control information from an SCF (Fig. 11b, Sensing network element), wherein the sensing service control information is used to indicate the sensing device to obtain sensing measurement data (Fig. 4a, 25-26; Fig. 4b, 76-77; ¶0030, “where the sensing control request message is used to control a RAN network element to perform a sensing operation of the first sensing service”; ¶0262, “if the SF network element determines the first RAN network element in step 25, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first RAN in step 26”; ¶0291, “77. The SF network element sends a sensing control request message to the first network element”; ¶0328; ¶0333; ¶0552, “1011. The sensing network element sends a sensing control request message to a first network element (for example, a RAN network element or the AMF network element)”);
obtaining, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data according to the sensing service control information (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0044, “The SF network element receives first sensing data and the sensing correlation identifier from the first network element”; ¶0252, “the SF network element may obtain the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF network element, or the LMF…the SF network element sends a location request message to the GMLC, the AMF, or the LMF, where the UE location request message includes a UE ID. The GMLC, AMF, or LMF initiates positioning of the UE based on the location request message, to obtain a location of the UE, and provides the location for the SF network element”; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0352); and
sending, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0352).
As to claim 14, YING discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein the obtaining, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data according to the sensing service control information comprises: performing, by the sensing device, sensing measurement according to the sensing service control information, to obtain the sensing measurement data; or, indicating, by the sensing device according to the sensing service control information, a second device to perform sensing measurement, to obtain the sensing measurement data sent by the second device; wherein the indicating, by the sensing device according to the sensing service control information, a second device to perform sensing measurement comprises: configuring, by the sensing device, a sensing measurement resource according to the sensing service control information; and sending, by the sensing device, information about the sensing measurement resource to the second device, wherein the information about the sensing measurement resource is used to indicate the second device to perform sensing measurement (Fig. 4a, 27; Fig. 4b, 78; ¶0044, “The SF network element receives first sensing data and the sensing correlation identifier from the first network element”; ¶0081, “The UE receives sensing resource indication information from the RAN network element, where the sensing resource indication information indicates the sensing resource”; ¶0085; ¶0116, “A RAN network element receives a sensing request message from user equipment UE, where the sensing request message is used to request a sensing resource”; ¶0117, “The RAN network element sends sensing resource indication information to the UE, where the sensing resource indication information indicates the sensing resource”; ¶0162; ¶0252, “the SF network element may obtain the location information of the UE from the GMLC, the AMF network element, or the LMF…the SF network element sends a location request message to the GMLC, the AMF, or the LMF, where the UE location request message includes a UE ID. The GMLC, AMF, or LMF initiates positioning of the UE based on the location request message, to obtain a location of the UE, and provides the location for the SF network element”; ¶0281, “the AMF sends the location information of the UE to an SF network element by using a third sensing service request message in the following step”; ¶0327; ¶0329, “the sensing correlation identifier is used to identify sensing data of the UE. That is, the sensing association identifier is an identifier of a UE granularity and is used to distinguish between sensing data of different UEs”; ¶0352; ¶0564, “FIG. 12(a) is a schematic flowchart of another UE sensing method according to this application”; ¶0669).
As to claim 15, YING discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein the sending, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF comprises at least one of the following: sending, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF through a control plane tunnel; or sending, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF through a user plane tunnel (¶0182, “The 5G-RAN is connected to a UPF through a user plane interface N3, and is configured to transmit data of the terminal device. The 5G-RAN establishes a control plane signaling connection to an AMF through a control plane interface N2 to implement functions such as radio access bearer control”; ¶0184; ¶0198; ¶0447, “sensing service from the sensing network element by using the user plane connection based on the address information of the sensing network element, and receive the second sensing data of the first sensing service from the sensing network element”; ¶0751).
As to claim 16, YING discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein the sensing service control information comprises at least one of the following: description information of the sensing service, an identifier of a consumer terminal device, or target range information of the sensing service; wherein the description information of the sensing service comprises at least one of the following: type information of the sensing service; information about a sensing object; sensing quantity information of the sensing object; purpose or usage information of the sensing service; granularity information of the sensing service; execution time information of the sensing service; related reporting information of the sensing measurement data; or QoS information of the sensing service; wherein the sensing device comprises at least one of the following: a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device (¶0518-¶0519, “the sensing control parameter may include one or more of the following: a sensing distance, a sensing angle, a sensing range, a sensing speed range, sensing distance resolution, sensing speed resolution, angle measurement accuracy of sensing (or sensing angle resolution), sensing duration, and the like”; ¶0520, “the sensing control parameter is determined by the sensing network element based on a service type, a sensing requirement, a QoS requirement, and the like that are of the sensing service. Alternatively, the sensing control parameter is obtained by the sensing network element from the sensing service request message 1”; ¶0554; ¶0556).
As to claim 17, YING discloses the method according to claim 13, wherein the sensing device comprises a sensing terminal device, and the sending, by the sensing device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF comprises: sending, by the sensing terminal device, the sensing measurement data to the SCF through a NAS signaling tunnel or a packet data PDU session tunnel; wherein the sensing terminal device sends the sensing measurement data to the SCF through the packet data PDU session tunnel, and the method further comprises: receiving, by the sensing terminal device, a user equipment route selection policy (URSP) corresponding to the sensing terminal device sent by a policy control function, wherein the URSP comprises a corresponding data path selection policy according to which the sensing terminal device sends the sensing measurement data to the SCF; and establishing or modifying, by the sensing terminal device, the PDU session tunnel according to the URSP (¶0184; ¶0188, “An application function (application function, AF) interacts with a core network element to provide some services, for example, interacts with a policy and control function (policy and control function, PCF) to perform service policy control, interacts with an NEF to obtain some network capability information, or provide some application information for a network, and provides some data network access point information for a PCF to generate routing information of a corresponding data service”; ¶0191; ¶0193; 0199; ¶0201; ¶0205, “This is an interface between the SMF and the AMF, and may be used to transfer PDU session tunnel information between the RAN and the UPF, transfer a control message sent to the terminal, transfer radio resource control information sent to the RAN, and the like”; ¶0208, “N15: This is an interface between the PCF and the AMF, and may be used to deliver a terminal policy and an access control-related policy”; ¶0210, “This is an interface between the PCF and the UDR, and may be used by the PCF to obtain policy-related subscription data and application data-related information from the UDR”; ¶0750, “707. If the N11 message in step 704 is specifically a PDU session establishment request message, the SMF selects an appropriate user plane function UPF for the UE, and the SMF establishes an N4 connection between the SMF and the UPF”).
As to claim 18, YING discloses a terminal, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or an instruction that is stored in the memory and that can be run on the processor, wherein when the program or the instruction is executed by the processor, the method for processing a sensing service according to claim 13 is implemented (Figs. 18-19; ¶0145-¶0146; ¶0966-¶0971).
As to claim 19, YING discloses a network side device, comprising a processor, a memory, and a program or an instruction that is stored in the memory and that can be run on the processor, wherein when the program or the instruction is executed by the processor, the method for processing a sensing service according to claim 1 is implemented (Figs. 18-19; ¶0145-¶0146; ¶0966-¶0971).
As to claim 20, YING discloses a non-transitory readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory readable storage medium stores a program or an instruction, and when the program or the instruction is executed by a processor, the method for processing a sensing service according to claim 1 is implemented (Figs. 18-19; ¶0145-¶0146; ¶0966-¶0971).
Applicant's arguments filed on 07/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive:
(1) Applicant asserts on 11 of the Remarks that “Claim 1, as amended, recites in part:
...the sending, by the SCF, sensing service control information to a sensing device comprises:
sending, by the SCF through an access and mobility management function, the sensing service control information to the sensing device, wherein the sensing device comprises at least one of the following: a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device; wherein before the sending, by the SCF, sensing service control information to a sensing device, the method further comprises: selecting, by the SCF, the sensing device according to the sensing
service request message sent by the first device. Corresponding features recited in independent claim 13 are not disclosed or suggested by any prior art. Ying fails to disclose or suggest the above-identified features.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., wherein before the sending, by the SCF, sensing service control information to a sensing device) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Claim 13 does not recite the limitation, “wherein before the sending, by the SCF, sensing service control information to a sensing device.”
(2) Applicant asserts on 11 of the Remarks that “As seen from above, Ying at most
discloses network-level signaling routing paths, specifically illustrating that when a first network element is determined to be an AMF, the SF network element forwards a sensing control request message to a RAN network element via said AMF. But Ying is silent about the above-identified features, which require that before sending the control information, the SCF (corresponding to the SF of Ying) must execute a specific step of "selecting the sensing device according to the sensing service request message sent by the first device." Ying at most describes a subsequent message-forwarding action conditional upon a first network element already being an AMF. Ying neither teaches this prerequisite selection logic performed by the SCF, nor does it disclose the structural limitation restricting the sensing device to "a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device."
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Ying clearly discloses that the SCF selects the sensing device according to the sensing service request message sent by the first device. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4(a) (item 25) and Figure 4(b) (item 76), the SCF (i.e., sensing function network element) selects the sensing device (i.e., RAN network element) according to the sensing service request message (Fig. 4a, 21-24; Fig. 4b, 71-75) sent by the first device (Fig. 4, UE or AF/AF) (Fig. 4a, 25; Fig. 4b, 76; ¶0032, “the sensing service request message includes a second identifier of the UE, and that the SF network element determines a first network element based on the sensing service request message”; ¶0244, “25. The SF network element determines the first network element based on the second sensing service request message”; ¶0249; ¶0262, “if the SF network element determines the first RAN network element in step 25, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first RAN in step 26”; ¶0263, “if the SF network element determines the first AMF network element in step 25, in step 26, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first AMF, and the AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”; ¶0288, “the SF network element determines a first network element based on the third sensing service request message”; ¶0294, “if the SF network element determines the first SMF network element in step 76, in step 77, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first SMF, and the first SMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”). The selection (Fig. 4a, 25; Fig. 4b, 76) is made before the SCF transmits the sensing service control information to the sensing device (Fig. 4a, 26; Fig. 4b, 77). Accordingly, the cited reference teaches the claimed selection step.
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(3) Applicant asserts on 11 of the Remarks that “However, as expressly recited in amended claim 1, the "sensing device" is limited to "a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device." Neither an AMF nor an SMF qualifies as a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device."
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Because the claim limits the sensing device to either a sensing terminal device or a sensing access network device, the RAN network element in Ying reasonably corresponds to the claimed sensing access network device (¶0262, “if the SF network element determines the first RAN network element in step 25, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first RAN in step 26”; ¶0263, “if the SF network element determines the first AMF network element in step 25, in step 26, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first AMF, and the AMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”; ¶0288, “the SF network element determines a first network element based on the third sensing service request message”; ¶0294, “if the SF network element determines the first SMF network element in step 76, in step 77, the SF network element sends a first sensing control request message to the first SMF, and the first SMF network element further sends a second sensing control request message to the first RAN network element”).
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/JUNGWON CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2454 July 21, 2026
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