DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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 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.
This Office Action is response to the preliminary amendment filed on 02/06/24.
Claims 21-24 have been canceled.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 02/06/24 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 form or PTO/SB/08A and 08B).
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it comprises Figure. 4. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words. It is important that the abstract not exceed 150 words in length since the space provided for the abstract on the computer tape used by the printer is limited. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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)(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 1-6, 10-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lagha et al. (U.S. 10904021).
For claim 1, Lagha et al. disclose a method for assisting in a configuring of charging triggers in a Network Function, NF, the method being performed by a Converged Charging Function, CHF, the method comprising:
sending a notification message from the CHF to the NF, wherein the notification message at least indicates one or more charging triggers to be configured by the NF in accordance with the notification message (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 41 to col. 5, line 67. The CHF 208 selects the dynamic charging mode for the network session, and notifies the PCF 206 of the dynamic charging mode which in turn notifies the SMF 204 of the dynamic charging mode. The dynamic charging mode may indicate to the SMF 204 that the dynamic selection between the offline charging and the online charging will be controlled by the CHF 208 for the duration of the network session. Responsive to the notification of the dynamic charging mode for the network session, the SMF 204 sends to the CHF 208 initial information associated with the network session, such as account information for the communication device 202. The CHF 208 dynamically selects offline charging for the network session, and communicates this selection to the SMF 204. The communication of the offline charging selection from the CHF 208 to the SMF 204 may also indicate one or more triggers upon which the SMF 204 is to communicate further information associated with the network session to the CHF 208. These triggers may include a specified amount (volume) of network traffic communicated over the network session and/or a specified duration of time having passed.)
For claim 2, Lagha et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the notification message indicates that the one or more charging triggers pertain to all service sessions of the NF (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 41 to col. 5, line 67. The CHF 208 selects the dynamic charging mode for the network session, and notifies the PCF 206 of the dynamic charging mode which in turn notifies the SMF 204 of the dynamic charging mode. The dynamic charging mode may indicate to the SMF 204 that the dynamic selection between the offline charging and the online charging will be controlled by the CHF 208 for the duration of the network session.
For claim 3, Lagha et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the notification message indicates that the one or more charging triggers pertain to a particular network slice (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 41 to col. 5, line 67. The communication of the offline charging selection from the CHF 208 to the SMF 204 may also indicate one or more triggers upon which the SMF 204 is to communicate further information associated with the network session to the CHF 208. These triggers may include a specified amount (volume) of network traffic communicated over the network session and/or a specified duration of time having passed.)
For claim 4, Lagha et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving a subscription request to send notification messages to the NF, and wherein the sending of the notification message is performed in response to receiving the subscription request (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 6 to col. 5, line 67. The PCF 206 notifies the CHF 208 of the newly established network session. The CHF 208 selects the dynamic charging mode for the network session, and notifies the PCF 206 of the dynamic charging mode which in turn notifies the SMF 204 of the dynamic charging mode.)
For claim 5, Lagha et al. disclose the method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining whether an unsubscription request to stop sending further notification messages to the NF has been received after receiving the subscription request, and in response to determining that an unsubscription request has not been received after receiving the subscription request, sending an additional notification message from the CHF to the NF, wherein the additional notification message also at least indicates one or more charging triggers to be configured by the NF in accordance with the additional notification message (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 41 to col. 5, line 67. Again, after some period of time (e.g. responsive to a trigger), the SMF 204 sends additional current network session information to the CHF 208. The CHF 208 will thus again determine from the additional current network session information characteristic(s) of the network session, and based on the characteristic(s) dynamically select between online and offline charging for the network session. The CHF 208 communicates the offline charging selection to the SMF 204 after determining. More importantly, the CHF 208 stops sending further message to the PCF and SMF 204 after receiving end session request message.)
For claim 6, Lagha et al. disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein the NF is a Session Management Function, SMF (at least Fig. 2 and col. 4, line 41 to col. 5, line 67. The CHF 208 selects the dynamic charging mode for the network session, and notifies the PCF 206 of the dynamic charging mode which in turn notifies the SMF 204 of the dynamic charging mode.)
For claim 10, the claim has features similar to claim 1. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 1.
For claims 11-13, the claims have features similar to claims 4-6. Therefore, the claims are also rejected for the same reason in claims 4-6.
For claim 17, the claim has features similar to claim 1. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 1.
For claim 18, the claim has features similar to claim 4. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 4.
For claim 19, the claim has features similar to claim 1. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 1.
For claim 20, the claim has features similar to claim 4. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 4.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lagha et al. (U.S. 10904021) in view of Chun (U.S. 20230319755).
For claim 7, Lagha et al. do not disclose the method according to claim 6, comprising sending the notification message to the SMF via an N40 reference point.
In the same field of endeavor, Chun discloses sending the notification message to the SMF via an N40 reference point (at least [0156]. N40 means a reference point between SMF and charging function (CHF)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Lagha et al. as taught by Chun for purpose of supporting online and offline charging.
For claim 14, the claim has features similar to claim 7. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 1.
Claims 8 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lagha et al. (U.S. 10904021) in view of Talebi Fard et al. (U.S. 20230354463).
For claim 8, Lagha et al. do not disclose the method according to claim 6, wherein the NF is one of an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF, and a Network Exposure Function, NEF.
In the same field of endeavor, Talebi Fard et al. disclose wherein the NF is one of an Access and Mobility Management Function, AMF, and a Network Exposure Function, NEF (at least [0065]. The NFs depicted in FIG. 3 include a user plane function (UPF) 305, an access and mobility management function (AMF) 312, a session management function (SMF) 314, a policy control function (PCF) 320, a network repository function (NRF) 330, a network exposure function (NEF) 340, a unified data management (UDM) 350, an authentication server function (AUSF) 360, a network slice selection function (NSSF) 370, a charging function (CHF) 380, a network data analytics function (NWDAF) 390, and an application function (AF) 399.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Lagha et al. as taught by Talebi Fard et al. for purpose of providing charging functionality.
For claim 15, the claim has features similar to claim 8. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 8.
Claims 9 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lagha et al. (U.S. 10904021) in view of Zhu (U.S. 20220217005).
For claim 9, Lagha et al. do not disclose the method according to claim 4, comprising exposing an Application Programming Interface, API, for explicitly receiving the subscription request.
In the same field of endeavor, Zhu discloses exposing an Application Programming Interface, API, for explicitly receiving the subscription request (at least [0116]. The NEF may provide a quantity of times that an application (application service) in a network slice instance invokes a network capability application programming interface (API). Based on the trigger condition of event-based charging, the quantity of times that the application invokes the network capability API may be provided to the CHF and used as the charging data.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the invention of Lagha et al. as taught by Zhu for purpose of providing charging data.
For claim 16, the claim has features similar to claim 9. Therefore, the claim is also rejected for the same reason in claim 9
Conclusion
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/DAI PHUONG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644