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 .
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) 1-6 and 8-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Merriman et al. (US Publication No. 20180300385) in view of Halligan (US Publication No. 20190303386).
As to claims 1, 10, and 18, Merriman teaches a method, one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and a wireless communication network (fig. 1, pp0002, pp0084, client #120, mobile device communicating with cloud service and fig. 10) comprising: [a database system] comprising two or more database segments (fig. 1, 102-108, pp0005, pp0051, database system 100 specific partitions of their database to specific geographic regions), wherein: each database segment of the two or more database segments stores a different portion of subscriber profiles (fig. 1, pp0007, the system can be configured to use zones to isolate data and/or operations associated with a first entity (e.g., an application or user) on a first set of shards and isolate data associated with a second entity (e.g., an application or user) on a second set of shards different from the first set of shards); and each database segment of the two or more database segments is further segmented into two or more subsegments (fig. 1, pp0064, each zone or segment hosting multiple partitions (e.g., 152-174)); a lookup database configured to store information (i.e. shard key) indicating where each subscriber profile of the subscriber profiles is stored (fig. 1, server 110-114, and pp0064, for metadata management, information on a zone that each shard is associated with, data index information e.g. shard key, and pp0068); at least one routing function configured to: receive a request for subscriber information associated with a subscriber stored in a database segment of the two or more database segments (fig. 1, router 116-120, pp0075, handle incoming requests from clients 120, shard router processes receive such client requests and route the database requests to the appropriate shard(s), e.g., 152-174 on shard servers 102-108); in response to the request, obtain information from the lookup database indicating that the subscriber information associated with the subscriber is stored in an identified database segment of the two or more database segments and an identified subsegment of two or more subsegments making up the identified database segment (fig. 1, pp0075, pp0086, the system can be configured to store data in a particular shard and zone based on a shard key value associated with the data. For example, data items 304-310 each have an associated shard key value. The data item can be routed, moved, and/or stored based on the key value, and pp0064); upon obtaining the information indicating that the subscriber information associated with the subscriber is stored in the identified database segment and the identified subsegment (fig. 1, pp0075, pp0086, the system can be configured to store data in a particular shard and zone based on a shard key value associated with the data. For example, data items 304-310 each have an associated shard key value. The data item can be routed, moved, and/or stored based on the key value, and pp0064), retrieve the subscriber information from the identified subsegment in the identified database segment; and respond to the request with the subscriber information associated with the subscriber (fig. 1, pp0076, in response to receiving a client request, the router process 116 routes the request to the appropriate shard or shards. The shard(s) return any results to the router process. The router process 116 can merge any results and communicate the merged result back to the client 120). However, Merriman fails to explicitly teach that the [database system] is a unified data repository (UDR).
In an analogous field of endeavor, Halligan teaches the concept that a distributed storage system is a unified data repository (UDR) (fig. 2, pp0003, mobile communications network, (e.g. an LTE (Long-term Evolution) or 5G (e.g. 3GPP release 15) network, comprises a UDR (Unified or Universal Data Repository) in which the subscriber data is stored). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Merriman with the teachings of Halligan to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably improving network latency and ensuring subscriber data is readily available to network elements or functions across the network (Halligan, pp0003).
As to claims 2, 11, and 19, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches wherein each subsegment of the two or more subsegments corresponds to a different geographic region and the identified subsegment of the database segment corresponds to a first geographic region (fig. 1, pp0061, pp0064, multiple partitions (e.g., 152-174) or shards of data. The shards of the shard cluster can be associated with different zones, and pp0054, when user is roaming in a different region from the user's home location represent a typical use case for this type of deployment).
As to claim 3, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches further comprising applying a subscription feature (i.e. cloud service customer) to each subscriber profile currently stored in the identified subsegment corresponding to the first geographic region (fig. 1, fig. 7, pp0165, system can be configured to direct data items and/or operations to one of the zones based on an application or customer association of the data item and/or operation).
As to claims 4 and 12, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches wherein: the request for the subscriber information associated with subscriber is triggered by a request from a user device associated with the subscriber to access the wireless communication network (fig. 1, router 116-120, pp0075, handle incoming requests from clients 120, shard router processes receive such client requests and route the database requests to the appropriate shard(s), e.g., 152-174 on shard servers 102-108, and pp0084, a user on a client device (e.g., a mobile device)); and the request from the user device associated with the subscriber was sent from a second geographic region associated with a different subsegment of the two or more subsegments (fig. 1, pp0061, pp0064, multiple partitions (e.g., 152-174) or shards of data. The shards of the shard cluster can be associated with different zones, and pp0054, when user is roaming in a different region from the user's home location represent a typical use case for this type of deployment).
As to claim 5, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches further comprising, upon detecting that the request from the user device associated with the subscriber was sent from the second geographic region instead of the first geographic region (fig. 1, pp0075, handle incoming requests from clients 120, shard router processes receive such client requests and route the database requests to the appropriate shard(s), pp0054, when user is roaming in a different region from the user's home location represent a typical use case for this type of deployment), moving the subscriber information associated with the subscriber from the identified subsegment of the plurality of subsegments to the different subsegment of the plurality of subsegments (fig. 1, pp0084, if a user moves from a location associated with the first data center 210 to a location associated with the second data center 220, the user's data can be moved easily by simply updating the shard zone association of the user data. When the user's data is to be moved from the first data center 210 to the second data center 220, the zone association of the data can be updated (e.g., by changing a zone that a shard of data is associated with)).
As to claims 6 and 15, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches wherein the relocation function is further configured to, after moving the subscriber information associated with the subscriber from the identified subsegment of the two or more subsegments to the different subsegment of the two or more subsegments (fig. 1, pp0084, if a user moves from a location associated with the first data center 210 to a location associated with the second data center 220, the user's data can be moved easily by simply updating the shard zone association of the user data. When the user's data is to be moved from the first data center 210 to the second data center 220, the zone association of the data can be updated (e.g., by changing a zone that a shard of data is associated with)), updating the information indicating where each subscriber profile of the subscriber profiles is stored in the lookup database to indicate that the subscriber information associated with the subscriber is stored in the different subsegment of the two or more subsegments (fig. 1, pp0084, if a user moves from a location associated with the first data center 210 to a location associated with the second data center 220, the user's data can be moved easily by simply updating the shard zone association of the user data. When the user's data is to be moved from the first data center 210 to the second data center 220, the zone association of the data can be updated (e.g., by changing a zone that a shard of data is associated with)). However, Merriman fails to explicitly teach that the [database system] is a unified data repository (UDR).
In an analogous field of endeavor, Halligan teaches the concept that a distributed storage system is a unified data repository (UDR) (fig. 2, pp0003, mobile communications network, (e.g. an LTE (Long-term Evolution) or 5G (e.g. 3GPP release 15) network, comprises a UDR (Unified or Universal Data Repository) in which the subscriber data is stored). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Merriman with the teachings of Halligan to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably improving network latency and ensuring subscriber data is readily available to network elements or functions across the network (Halligan, pp0003).
As to claims 8 and 16, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches further comprising an authentication entity, wherein the authentication entity sent the request for the subscriber information associated with the subscriber in response to receiving an authentication request (i.e. login to access database) associated with the subscriber (fig. 1, fig. 7, pp0247, a database user resource enables users to retrieve, create and modify the MongoDB users in a cluster. Each user has a set of roles that provide access to the group's databases, user also has a username, password, and authentication database used to log into MongoDB).
As to claims 9 and 17, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the wireless communication network is a Fifth Generation (5G) cellular communication network.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Halligan teaches the concept wherein the wireless communication network is a Fifth Generation (5G) cellular communication network (fig. 2, pp0003, mobile communications network, (e.g. an LTE (Long-term Evolution) or 5G (e.g. 3GPP release 15) network, comprises a UDR (Unified or Universal Data Repository) in which the subscriber data is stored). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Merriman with the teachings of Halligan to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably improving network latency and ensuring subscriber data is readily available to network elements or functions across the network (Halligan, pp0003).
As to claim 13, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches further comprising a log processing function configured to determine that the request from the user device associated with the subscriber was sent from the second geographic region instead of the second geographic region instead of the first geographic region (fig. 1, pp0075, handle incoming requests from clients 120, shard router processes receive such client requests and route the database requests to the appropriate shard(s), pp0054, when user is roaming in a different region from the user's home location represent a typical use case for this type of deployment).
As to claim 14, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches further comprising a relocation function configured to move the subscriber information associated with the subscriber from the identified subsegment of the two or more subsegments to the different subsegment of the two or more subsegments (fig. 1, pp0084, if a user moves from a location associated with the first data center 210 to a location associated with the second data center 220, the user's data can be moved easily by simply updating the shard zone association of the user data. When the user's data is to be moved from the first data center 210 to the second data center 220, the zone association of the data can be updated (e.g., by changing a zone that a shard of data is associated with)).
As to claim 20, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. However, fails to explicitly teach wherein the plurality of database segments makes up a unified database repository (UDR) associated with a wireless communication network.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Halligan teaches the concept of distributed storage system wherein the plurality of database segments makes up a unified database repository (UDR) associated with a wireless communication network (fig. 2, pp0003, mobile communications network, (e.g. an LTE (Long-term Evolution) or 5G (e.g. 3GPP release 15) network, comprises a UDR (Unified or Universal Data Repository) in which the subscriber data is stored). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Merriman with the teachings of Halligan to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably improving network latency and ensuring subscriber data is readily available to network elements or functions across the network (Halligan, pp0003).
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Merriman et al. (US Publication No. 20180300385) in view of Halligan (US Publication No. 20190303386) and further in view of Liu (US Patent No. 10298770).
As to claim 7, Merriman in view of Halligan teaches the limitations of the independent claims as discussed above. Merriman further teaches the concept of moving the subscriber information associated with the subscriber from the identified subsegment to the different subsegment of the plurality of subsegments (fig. 1, pp0084, if a user moves from a location associated with the first data center 210 to a location associated with the second data center 220, the user's data can be moved easily by simply updating the shard zone association of the user data. When the user's data is to be moved from the first data center 210 to the second data center 220, the zone association of the data can be updated (e.g., by changing a zone that a shard of data is associated with)). However, fails to explicitly teach the concept of running a promotion in the second geographic region and applying the promotion to a subscriber profile associated with the subscriber.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Liu teaches the concept of running a promotion in the second geographic region and applying the promotion to a subscriber profile associated with the subscriber (fig. 2, col. 12, lines 17-22, play different promotional messages for different regions, or other groupings of stores, using a call control template that uses customer-specific data about the relevant region/groupId to select and play the proper promotion messages). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Merriman and Halligan with the teachings of Liu to achieve the goal of efficiently and reliably improving communication and providing reduced costs of telecommunications (Liu, col. 1, line 30).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to OMONIYI OBAYANJU whose telephone number is (571)270-5885. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thur 10:30-7pm.
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/OMONIYI OBAYANJU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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