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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 03/27/2024 and 09/24/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Qiao et al. (US 2022/0248318 A1, hereinafter Qiao).
Regarding claim 1 Qiao teaches a method performed by a terminal in a wireless communication system ([Figure 8-13: device 100] UE 100 performing a registration procedure within a wireless communication system, and [0029] UE is interchangeable with a terminal), the method comprising: transmitting, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) ([Figure 8] depicts UE 100 transmitting to an AMF 155), a registration request message comprising information on a requested network slice ([Figure 8: request message 805/810] a service request message originating from UE 100, being transmitted to a new AMF 155); receiving, from the AMF, a registration accept message comprising at least one of information on a partially allowed network slice, or information on a partially rejected network slice ([0274] the AMF 155 may wait for all responses from the SMF 160s before it may send MM NAS service accept message to the UE 100, i.e. the UE receiving a registration accept message from the AMF, and [0169] an NSSF (Network Slice Selection Function) 120 may select a set of network slice instances serving the UE 100, and may determine allowed NSSAI (Network Slice Selection Assistance Information). In an example, the NSSF 120 may determine the AMF 155 set to be employed to serve the UE 100, and/or, based on configuration, determine a list of candidate AMF 155(s) 155 by querying the NRF 130, and [0195] allowed NSSAI may be an NSSAI provided by a serving PLMN during e.g. a registration procedure, indicating the NSSAI allowed by the network for the UE 100 in the serving PLMN for the current registration area, i.e. the registration accept message comprises a partially allowed network slice to be used via the UE 100); identifying whether the information on the partially allowed network slice is changed, or whether current tracking area identifier (TAI) is in a list of tracking areas (TAs) for which information on a network slice is allowed; and in case that the information on the partially allowed network slice is changed, or the current TAI is in the list of the TAs for which the information on the network slice is allowed ([0198] In an example, the set of network slices for a UE 100 may be changed at any time while the UE 100 may be registered with the network, and may be initiated by the network, or the UE 100, i.e. network slices may change for the UE, and [0216] 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, and 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), i.e. the ability for the network to determine if a partially allowed network slice is changed for UE 100, and [0224-0226] a current tracking area identifier TAI and may be included in order to help the AMF 155 produce registration area for the UE, which may be associated with a specific [0216] tracking area list, i.e. a list of [0139] TA Tracking Area(s), i.e. determining a current tracking area identifier (TAI) is in a list of tracking areas (TAs)), performing an evaluation of user equipment route selection policy (URSP) ([0174] the 5GC may provide policy information from the Policy Control Function (PCF) 135 to the UE 100. In an example, the policy information may comprise: access network discovery and selection policy, UE 100 route selection policy (URSP), SSC mode selection policy (SSCMSP), network slice selection policy (NSSP), DNN selection policy, non-seamless offload policy, and/or the like, and FIG. 11 depicts operation 1130, 1150, and 1155 being transmitted to the Policy Control Function (PCF), which contain policy checks/updates/evaluations of UE 100, upon the elements listed above, i.e. the PCF may contain the use of a UE URSP and will perform evaluations of the UE).
Regarding claim 2 Qiao teaches based on at least one of the information on the partially allowed network slice, or the information on the partially rejected network slice ([0169] an NSSF 120 may select a set of network slice instances serving the UE 100, and may determine allowed NSSAI), identifying whether the current TAI is in the list of the TAs for which the information on the network slice is allowed ([0224-0226] a registration message may include a current tracking area identifier TAI and be included in order to help the AMF 155 produce registration area for the UE, which may be associated with a specific [0216] tracking area list, i.e. a list of [0139] TA Tracking Area(s)).
Regarding claim 3 Qiao teaches the information on the partially allowed network slice is partially allowed network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) ([0169] an NSSF 120 may select a set of network slice instances serving the UE 100, and may determine allowed NSSAI), wherein the information on the partially rejected network slice is single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) rejected partially, and wherein the information on the network slice is S-NSSAI ([0209-0212] subscription data may include the S-NSSAI(s) of the network slices that the UE 100 subscribes to, and the UE 100 may use the S-NSSAIs in the allowed NSSAI corresponding to a network slice for the subsequent network slice selection related procedures in the serving PLMN, and [0233] if the authentication/security procedure fails, then the registration may be rejected, and the new AMF 155 may invoke the Namf_Communication_RegistrationCompleteNotify service operation with a reject indication reason code towards the old AMF 155, i.e. network slice selection is rejected, and may be rejected based on information contained with the S-NSSAI(s) of the network slices).
Regarding claim 4 Qiao teaches the performing the evaluation of the URSP comprises performing a re-evaluation of the URSP (FIG. 11 depicts a policy control update notification message 1115, where operations 1130, 1150, and 1155 shown evaluating PCF/PSA, and [0260] the SMF 160 may check the UPF 110 Selection 1025 Criteria (e.g., slice isolation requirements, slice coexistence requirements, UPF's 110 dynamic load, UPF's 110 relative static capacity among UPFs supporting the same DNN, UPF 110 location available at the SMF 160, UE 100 location information, Capability of the UPF 110 and the functionality required for the particular UE 100 session. In an example, an appropriate UPF 110 may be selected by matching the functionality and features required for a UE 100, DNN, PDU session type (i.e. IPv4, IPv6, ethernet type or unstructured type), and [0174] the PCF 135 may include URSP, and [0175] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, the registration management, RM may be employed to register or de-register a UE/user 100 with the network, and establish the user context in the network, i.e. to register/de-register the UE, the URSP must be re-evaluated, i.e. evaluation of the URSP comprises performing a re-evaluation of the URSP).
Regarding claim 5, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 1, further in view of Qiao teaches a method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: receiving, from a terminal- ([Figure 8-13: AMF 155] the old/new AMF 155 performing registration procedure within a wireless communication system, and receiving/transmitting with UE 100, [0029] UE 100 read as terminal).
Regarding claim 6, Qiao teaches whether the current TAI is in the list of the TAs for which the information on the network slice is allowed is based on at least one of the information on the partially allowed network slice, or the information on the partially rejected network slice ([0224-0226] a registration message may include a current tracking area identifier TAI and be included in order to help the AMF 155 produce registration area for the UE, which may be associated with a specific [0216] tracking area list, i.e. a list of [0139] TA Tracking Area, for [0198] determining permitted network slice(s) to which the UE 100 may be allowed).
Regarding claim 7, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 3, further in view of Qiao teaches -and wherein the evaluation of the URSP comprises a re-evaluation of the URSP (FIG. 11 depicts a policy control update notification message 1115, where operations 1130, 1150, and 1155 shown evaluating PCF/PSA, and [0260] the SMF 160 may check the UPF 110 Selection 1025 Criteria (e.g., slice isolation requirements, slice coexistence requirements, UPF's 110 dynamic load, UPF's 110 relative static capacity among UPFs supporting the same DNN, UPF 110 location available at the SMF 160, UE 100 location information, Capability of the UPF 110 and the functionality required for the particular UE 100 session. In an example, an appropriate UPF 110 may be selected by matching the functionality and features required for a UE 100, DNN, PDU session type (i.e. IPv4, IPv6, ethernet type or unstructured type), and [0174] the PCF 135 may include URSP, and [0175] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, the registration management, RM may be employed to register or de-register a UE/user 100 with the network, and establish the user context in the network, i.e. to register/de-register the UE, the URSP must be re-evaluated, i.e. evaluation of the URSP comprises performing a re-evaluation of the URSP).
Regarding claim 8, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 1, further in view of Qiao teaches -a transceiver; and at least one processor coupled with the transceiver and configured to: transmit- (FIG. 3 depicts Communication Interface(s) 320, i.e. a transceiver, coupled with a Processor 318 to transmit to a plurality of base stations).
Regarding claim 9, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 2.
Regarding claim 10, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 11, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 4.
Regarding claim 12, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 5, further in view of Qiao teaches -the AMF comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor coupled with the transceiver and configured to: receive- ([0160] the AMF may be associated with the Base Station, i.e. information is sent via AMF 155 over N2 to (R)AN 105 (the base station) to the UE 100, and FIG. 3 depicts Base Station 105 containing Communication Interface(s) 342, i.e. a transceiver, coupled with Processor(s) 344, configured to receive from UE 100).
Regarding claim 13, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 6.
Regarding claim 14, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 15, the claimed limitations of claim are rejected as the same reasons as set forth in claim 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Qiao, Weihua et al. (2022). Multiple access (US 2022/0386401 A1). Filed 2022-05-27. Discloses a UE requesting to access a plurality of networks, and receiving a response message, in association with [0060] a network slice selection function (NSSF). (abstract)
Qiao, Weihua et al. (2022). Network reselection during a disaster (US 2022/0030495 A1). Filed 2021-10-08. Discloses a method for network reselection during a disaster in association with a failure of a PLMN (abstract), where [0030-0129] a S-NSSAI, NSSF, URSP and PCF are used in association with [0134] network slices.
Qiao, Weihua et al. (2021). Charging control for non-public network (US 2021/0184875 A1). Filed 2021-02-03. Discloses a session management function which sends, to a policy control function, a policy request message for a UE to access a public land mobile network in association with policies. (abstract)
Lee, Hoyeon et al. (2020). Device and method for providing network slice interworking in wireless communication system (US 2020/0236528 A1). Filed 2020-01-22. Discloses a session management function (SMF) working with a S-NSSA and NSSAI to allocate network slices.
Qiao, Weihua et al. (2020). Charging control with smf (US 2020/0092423 A1). Filed 2019-09-09. Discloses a session create request message, where the SMF sends to a CHF a charging policy request message requesting charging policy information for the PDU session, in association with an AMF. (abstract)
Qiao, Weihua et al. (2019). Location based coexistence rules for network slices (US 2019/0141606 A1). Filed 2018-11-08. Discloses a request message for an NSSF for at least one network slice for a wireless device, where the AMF receives from the NSSF, location based network slice coexistence rule(s) for location(s) of the wireless device and slice allocation. (abstract)
Park, Sangmin et al. (2019). Registration method of user terminal in wireless communication system and apparatus therefor (US 2019/0029065 A1). Filed 2018-06-18. Discloses a method for a user equipment to update a policy in a wireless communication system and may include transmitting registration request message(s) to an access and mobility management function (AMF). (abstract)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW JAMES DWYER whose telephone number is (571)272-5121. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. EST.
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/MATTHEW JAMES DWYER/Examiner, Art Unit 2649
/GEORGE ENG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2699