DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in responsive to Application 18/616901 filed on 6/10/2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims:
Claims 1-16 are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments in the amendment filed on 6/10/2026 regarding claim rejection under 35 USC § 102 have been considered and found unpersuasive because Qiao still teaches the claims.
Applicant argues that Qiao does not disclose specific sequence of operations performed by single entity and the releasing step is done in error (Remarks p. 1-2). In general all the arguments are based on the incorrect assumption that AMF does not release PDU session or that more than one node perform the steps which is plain wrong because the office action clearly stated that AMF perform the steps. The office action clearly maps the “policy node” to AMF e.g., AMF 155. AMF 155 release the NAS signaling connection as stated in ¶0185. All the steps in claim 1 is done by AMF or RAN which Qiao use them interchangeably. Which step(s) exactly is/are not done by AMF 155 or RAN? Applicant should read Qiao for more information in addition to the cited paragraphs to shed more light on this technology.
Applicant argues that Qiao does not disclose the last step of claim 1 release… (Remarks p. 2). Examiner disagrees because Qiao still teaches the claim.
One with ordinary skill in the art reading Qiao’s cited paragraphs understands that Qiao’s teaching of AMF/RAN is responsible for the releasing procedure. For example, in ¶0233; “[t]he new AMF 155 may modify the PDU session status correspondingly. The old AMF 155 may inform the corresponding SMF 160(s) to locally release the UE's SM context by invoking the Nsmf_PDUSession_ReleaseSMContext service operation.” [Emphasis added]
See ¶0237 “[t]he SMF 160 may release the PDU session(s) on getting this notification. In an example, the old AMF 155 may unsubscribe with the UDM 140 for subscription data using Nudm_SDM_Unsubscribe 922.” [Emphasis added]. Note that SMF 160 gets its information from AMF 155.
See ¶0241 “AMF 155 may invoke the Nsmf_PDUSession_ReleaseSMContext service operation towards the SMF 160 if any PDU session status indicates that it is released at the UE 100. The AMF 155 may invoke the Nsmf_PDUSession_ReleaseSMContext service operation towards the SMF 160 in order to release any network resources related to the PDU session” [Emphasis added].
Note that there are so many teachings on how the AMF release PDU session. Thus, Examiner maintains his interpretation and rejection.
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 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Qiao et al. (Qiao) US 2022/0248318 A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Qiao teaches a wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, by a first policy control node from one or more network slice access control nodes, a first notification corresponding to a number of Protocol Data Unit, PDU, sessions in association with a network slice (¶0340-¶0341 & Fig. 18; a (R)AN may send to a network function (e.g. NWDAF, OAM) [one or more network slice access control node] a message (e.g. Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Subscribe) to subscribe an event/notification if a quota [overloaded] has been reached for a number of UEs per network slice (e.g. per first S-NSSAI) and/or a number of PDU sessions per network slice. ¶0238; AMF 155 [policy control node] receives policy for the UE), wherein the first notification indicates the network slice is overloaded (Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0345; a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive from the network function (e.g. NWDAF, OAM), a first message indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from the network function via an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, the overload may be due to a quota for a number of UEs being reached for a network slice…first message may comprise a first information element (IE) indicating a network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI). The first message may comprise a second IE indicating a quota has been reached for a number of UEs for a network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) per PLMN (e.g. for the first PLMN). The first message may comprise a third IE indicating a quota has been reached for a number of PDU sessions per network slice (e.g. for the first S-NSSAI) per PLMN (e.g. for the first PLMN). The first message may comprise a fourth IE indicating an action of (R)AN for an RRC connection of the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN). The action of (R)AN may be releasing the RRC connection for the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN));
and releasing, by the first policy control node, one or more of the PDU sessions of the network slice in response to the network slice being overloaded (Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0346; Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0345; a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded …first message may comprise a fourth IE indicating an action of (R)AN for an RRC connection of the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN). The action of (R)AN may be releasing the RRC connection for the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN)).
Regarding Claim 2, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the PDU sessions are released in response to all applications relating to the network slice being terminated or one or more critical applications relating to the network slice being terminated (¶0334, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; when the overload action IE is set to “only permit RRC connection establishments for emergency sessions and mobile terminated services” (e.g., only permit traffic corresponding to RRC cause “emergency” and “mt-Access”), the NG-RAN node may reduce the signalling traffic by the indicated percentage if the AMF traffic load reduction indication IE is included in the overload start message, and otherwise the NG-RAN node may ensure that only the signalling traffic not indicated as to be rejected is sent to the AMF).
Regarding Claim 3, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the first notification is received in response to reaching a threshold corresponding to the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice (¶0220, ¶0224, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; message is sent when reaching the quota).
Regarding Claim 4, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting, by the first policy control node to the one or more network slice access control nodes, a first subscription request for the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice (¶0216, ¶0224; the network, based on local policies, subscription changes and/or UE 100 mobility, may change the set of permitted network slice(s) to which the UE 100 is registered. In an example, the network may perform the change during a registration procedure or trigger a notification towards the UE 100 of the change of the supported network slices using an RM procedure (which may trigger a registration procedure). The network may provide the UE 100 with a new allowed NSSAI and tracking area list).
Regarding Claim 5, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 4, wherein the first subscription request comprises a threshold of the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice (¶0334, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; see quota or number of PDU sessions).
Regarding Claim 6, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the first policy control node from a session management node, a request comprising information of one of the network slice access control nodes corresponding to one of the PDU sessions (¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; receing information about PDU sessions).
Regarding Claim 7, Qiao teaches a wireless communication method comprising:
receiving, by a second policy control node from one or more network slice access control nodes (¶0340-¶0341 & Fig. 18; a (R)AN may send to a network function (e.g. NWDAF, OAM) [one or more network slice access control node] a message (e.g. Nnwdaf_AnalyticsSubscription_Subscribe) to subscribe an event/notification if a quota [overloaded] has been reached for a number of UEs per network slice (e.g. per first S-NSSAI) and/or a number of PDU sessions per network slice. ¶0238; AMF 155 [policy control node] receives policy for the UE), a second notification corresponding to a number of user equipments in association with a network slice (Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0345; a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive from the network function (e.g. NWDAF, OAM), a first message indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from the network function via an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded. In an example, the overload may be due to a quota for a number of UEs being reached for a network slice…first message may comprise a first information element (IE) indicating a network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI). The first message may comprise a second IE indicating a quota has been reached for a number of UEs for a network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) per PLMN (e.g. for the first PLMN). The first message may comprise a third IE indicating a quota has been reached for a number of PDU sessions per network slice (e.g. for the first S-NSSAI) per PLMN (e.g. for the first PLMN). The first message may comprise a fourth IE indicating an action of (R)AN for an RRC connection of the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN). The action of (R)AN may be releasing the RRC connection for the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN));
and releasing, by the first policy control node, one or more of the user equipments in association with the network slice from the network slice in response to the network slice being overloaded (Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0346; Fig. 18 & ¶0341-¶0345; a base station (e.g. (R)AN 1) may receive a first message from an AMF (e.g. AMF 1) indicating the first S-NSSAI is overloaded …first message may comprise a fourth IE indicating an action of (R)AN for an RRC connection of the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN). The action of (R)AN may be releasing the RRC connection for the network slice (e.g. the first S-NSSAI) for the PLMN (e.g. the first PLMN)).
Regarding Claim 8, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 7, wherein the one or more of the user equipments are released from the network slice in response to all applications relating to the network slice being terminated or one or more critical applications relating to the network slice being terminated (¶0334, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; when the overload action IE is set to “only permit RRC connection establishments for emergency sessions and mobile terminated services” (e.g., only permit traffic corresponding to RRC cause “emergency” and “mt-Access”), the NG-RAN node may reduce the signalling traffic by the indicated percentage if the AMF traffic load reduction indication IE is included in the overload start message, and otherwise the NG-RAN node may ensure that only the signalling traffic not indicated as to be rejected is sent to the AMF).
Regarding Claim 9, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 7, wherein the one or more of the user equipments are released from the network slice through update allowed NSSAI or a user equipment route selection policy, URSP, update procedure (¶0340-¶0348 & Fig. 18; NSSAI).
Regarding Claim 10, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 7, wherein the second notification is received in response to reaching a threshold corresponding to the number of the user equipments in association with the network slice (¶0334, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; see quota or number of PDU sessions).
Regarding Claim 11, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 7, further comprising: transmitting, by the second policy control node to the one or more network slice access control nodes, a second subscription request for the number of the user equipments in association with the network slice (¶0220, ¶0224 & ¶0237 & ¶0291; subscription request).
Regarding Claim 12, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 11, wherein the second subscription request comprises a threshold of the number of the user equipments in association with the network slice (¶0334, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; see quota or number of PDU sessions).
Regarding Claim 13, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving, by the second policy control node from an access and management node, a request comprising information of one of the network slice access control nodes corresponding to one of the user equipments (see Fig. 18 and related paragraphs for request about UEs).
Claim 14 is substantially similar to claim 1, thus the same rationale applies.
Regarding Claim 15, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method claim 14, further comprising: receiving, by the network slice access control node from the first policy control node, a first subscription request for the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice (¶0216, ¶0224; the network, based on local policies, subscription changes and/or UE 100 mobility, may change the set of permitted network slice(s) to which the UE 100 is registered. In an example, the network may perform the change during a registration procedure or trigger a notification towards the UE 100 of the change of the supported network slices using an RM procedure (which may trigger a registration procedure). The network may provide the UE 100 with a new allowed NSSAI and tracking area list. Also note ¶0220, ¶0224 & ¶0237 & ¶0291; subscription request).
Regarding Claim 16, Qiao teaches the wireless communication method of claim 15, wherein the first subscription request comprises a threshold of the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice (¶0220, ¶0224 & ¶0237 & ¶0291; subscription request), and the first notification is transmitted when the threshold corresponding to the number of the PDU sessions in association with the network slice is reached (¶0220, ¶0224, ¶0341-¶0345 & Fig. 18; message is sent when reaching the quota).
Conclusion
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHRAN ABU ROUMI whose telephone number is (469)295-9170. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Emmanuel Moise can be reached at 571-272-3865. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MAHRAN ABU ROUMI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2455
/MAHRAN Y ABU ROUMI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2455
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