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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is a first office action in response to application filed, with the above serial number, on 28 March 2024 in which claims 1-20 are presented for examination. Claims 1-20 are therefore pending in the application.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claims 1-20 are 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 1 recites “the one or more DNS messages” in the last line and “one or more DNS messages” in line 7. However, the antecedent basis is not clear if the received DNS query message, the sent DNS query message or new messages are the one or more DNS messages. It is further not clear if the claimed “and the address of DNS server in the home network is a destination address of the one or more DNS messages” adds or is different from “and a destination address of the DNS query message is an address of DNS server in a home network” claimed beforehand.
Claim 4, 14 recites the limitation "the session management network element" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5-8, 11, 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kim et al (hereinafter “Kim”, 2023/0094062)
As per Claim 1, Kim discloses a method, comprising:
receiving a domain name system DNS query message from a terminal device, wherein the DNS query message is used to obtain an edge server address, and a destination address of the DNS query message is an address of DNS server in a home network (at least paragraph 158-160, 149, 171, 9; When the UE needs to send traffic destined to an edge service the UE triggers the Edge AS discovery by sending a DNS query for an FQDN of the edge service; in roaming scenario the H-PCF is in control to update the policy to the UE, and the AF must belong to or have an agreement with HPLMN); and
sending the DNS query message to an edge application server discovery network element in a visited network based on first information, wherein the first information is used to forward one or more DNS messages to the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network, the first information comprises the address of DNS server in the home network and an address of the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network, and the address of DNS server in the home network is a destination address of the one or more DNS messages (at least paragraph 158-160, 149, 169-171, 9; V-PCF can efficiently perform edge computing by delivering updated EAS information to each the H-PCF of the UEs roaming to the PLMN to which the V-PCF belongs; If the UE has roamed, the UE will communicate with the EAS deployed close to the VPLMN. Since H-PCF must obtain EAS information, AF must provide EAS information directly to HPLMN. For example, for an application that provides edge computing services in VPLMN #1, to serve even UEs inbound roaming to VPLMN #1, the AF will send each EAS information to the HPLMNs of the UEs).
As per Claim 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is performed by a user plane network element in the visited network (at least paragraph 144, 116; UPF for edge services).
As per Claim 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first information further comprises one or more of the following: a full qualified domain name, an application identifier, or a DNS protocol port number (at least paragraph 158-160; FQDN).
Claims 11, 15-16 do not, in substance, add or define any additional limitations over claims 1, 5-6 and therefore are rejected for similar reasons, supra.
As per Claim 7, Kim discloses a method, comprising:
determining first information for a home routed session, wherein the first information is used to forward one or more domain name system DNS messages to an edge application server discovery network element in a visited network, the first information comprises the address of DNS server in a home network and an address of the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network, and the address of DNS server in the home network is a destination address of the one or more DNS messages (at least paragraph 158-160, 149, 169-171, 9; V-PCF can efficiently perform edge computing by delivering updated EAS information to each the H-PCF of the UEs roaming to the PLMN to which the V-PCF belongs; If the UE has roamed, the UE will communicate with the EAS deployed close to the VPLMN. Since H-PCF must obtain EAS information, AF must provide EAS information directly to HPLMN. For example, for an application that provides edge computing services in VPLMN #1, to serve even UEs inbound roaming to VPLMN #1, the AF will send each EAS information to the HPLMNs of the UEs); and
sending the first information to a user plane network element in the visited network (at least paragraph 144, 116; UPF for edge services interfacing between UE and edge).
As per Claim 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first information further comprises one or more of the following: a full qualified domain name, an application identifier, or a DNS protocol port number (at least paragraph 158-160; FQDN).
Claims 17-18 do not, in substance, add or define any additional limitations over claims 7-8 and therefore are rejected for similar reasons, supra.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 2-4, 9-10, 12-14, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of 3GPP TS 23.548 (see NPL cite No 2 from IDS filed 1/22/25).
As per Claim 2 & 12, Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein sending the DNS query message to the edge application server discovery network element comprises: sending the DNS query message to the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network after replacing the destination address of the DNS query message from the address of DNS server in the home network to the address of the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network. However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of 3GPP TS 23.548. 3GPP TS 23.548 discloses in section 6.2.3.2.3 pp. 14-16, Option D, replacing source and target IP addresses of the DNS query and response when switching the DNS server or EASDF. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of 3GPP TS 23.548’s address replacement with Kim as 3GPP TS 23.548 teaches such being necessary in order for the query to be forwarded and for the DNS response to be successfully routed back to the UE terminal as the UE is expecting a response to the DNS query from the actual address the UE sent the query to.
As per Claim 3 & 13. Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises: receiving a DNS response message from the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network; and sending the DNS response message to the terminal device after replacing a source address of the DNS response message from the address of the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network to the address of the DNS server in the home network. However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of 3GPP TS 23.548. 3GPP TS 23.548 discloses in section 6.2.3.2.3 pp. 14-16, Option D, replacing source and target IP addresses of the DNS query and response when switching the DNS server or EASDF. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of 3GPP TS 23.548’s address replacement with Kim as 3GPP TS 23.548 teaches such being necessary in order for the query to be forwarded and for the DNS response to be successfully routed back to the UE terminal as the UE is expecting a response to the DNS query from the actual address the UE sent the query to.
As per Claim 4 & 14. Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises: receiving the first information from the session management network element. However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of 3GPP TS 23.548. 3GPP TS 23.548 discloses in section 6.2.3.2.3 pp. 14-16, Option D, the SMF configuring the UE DNS query routing and information. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of 3GPP TS 23.548’s SMF with Kim as 3GPP TS 23.548 teaches such being necessary in order for the query to be forwarded correctly with the SMF handing session management as is well known for the SMF to handle the configuration and session setup between the UE and the correct DNS the UE is requesting.
As per Claim 9 & 19. Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method further comprises: sending second information to the user plane network element, wherein the second information is used to replace a source address of a DNS response message from the address of the edge application server discovery network element in the visited network to the address of the DNS server in the home network. However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of 3GPP TS 23.548. 3GPP TS 23.548 discloses in section 6.2.3.2.3 pp. 14-16, Option D, replacing source and target IP addresses of the DNS query and response when switching the DNS server or EASDF. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of 3GPP TS 23.548’s address replacement with Kim as 3GPP TS 23.548 teaches such being necessary in order for the query to be forwarded and for the DNS response to be successfully routed back to the UE terminal as the UE is expecting a response to the DNS query from the actual address the UE sent the query to.
As per Claim 10 & 20, Kim fails to explicitly disclose wherein the method is performed by a session management network element. However, the use and advantages for using such a system was well known to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention as evidenced by the teachings of 3GPP TS 23.548. 3GPP TS 23.548 discloses in section 6.2.3.2.3 pp. 14-16, Option D, the SMF configuring the UE DNS query routing and information. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the use of 3GPP TS 23.548’s SMF with Kim as 3GPP TS 23.548 teaches such being necessary in order for the query to be forwarded correctly with the SMF handing session management as is well known for the SMF to handle the configuration and session setup between the UE and the correct DNS the UE is requesting.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure is indicated in PTO form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY G TODD whose telephone number is (303)297-4763. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5 MST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor Nicholas Taylor can be reached on (571)272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GREGORY TODD/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443
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