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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 6/5/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 7-8, and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIKI (US 20150371011 A1, hereinafter, "MIKI") in view of OKADA (US 20190012070 A1, hereinafter, "OKADA"), LUO (US 20160234659 A1, hereinafter, "LUO"), and TERABE et al. (US 20210298031 A1, hereinafter, "TERABE").
Regarding claim 1, MIKI teaches an information processing apparatus, comprising:
MIKI writes, “...the conference server device 12 is an example of an information processing apparatus” (paragraph 0169; figure 4, conference server device: 12). MIKI indicates an information processing apparatus.
a control unit configured to:
MIKI writes, “The conference control unit 61 is an example of a control unit” (paragraph 0169; figure 4, conference control unit: 61). MIKI indicates a control unit.
request a cellular communication system for activation of a cellular communication line associated with the cellular communication system,
MIKI writes, “In step S27, the conference control unit 61 of the conference control unit 61 establishes a
communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the participation request
from the conference client device 10. The conference server device 12 and the conference client device
10 participating in the conference exchange information needed for sharing the conference screen, by
using the established communication line (session)” (paragraph 0101; figure 9). MIKI notes, “The
conference client device 10 may be a PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a mobile
information terminal such as a PDA...” (paragraph 0043). MIKI indicates the control unit establishes a
communication line with the conference client device based on participation request and the server and
client exchange information needed for the service using the communication line. MIKI notes that the
client may be a smartphone, mobile phone or mobile information terminal suggesting the system may
be a cellular communication system.
MIKI fails to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the cellular communication line is usable by a plurality of terminal devices, and the plurality of terminal devices are service providing targets for provision of a service;”, “assign, based on the service, the plurality of terminal devices to a group to share, among the plurality of terminal devices, a data communication amount for the provision of the service;”, “determine a resource for allocation to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group based on a start of the provision of the service to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group;”, and “and request the cellular communication system to secure the resource for the cellular communication line.”
However, in analogous art, OKADA teaches wherein the cellular communication line is usable by a plurality of terminal devices, and the plurality of terminal devices are service providing targets for provision of a service;
OKADA writes, “FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an information processing system 1 according to the first embodiment. The information processing system 1 includes an information processing apparatus 10 and terminals 20. The information processing apparatus 10 and the terminals 20 are connected via a network 2. The network 2 includes a wired network and a wireless network” (paragraph 0032). OKADA continues, “The information processing apparatus 10 provides an SNS (Social Network Service) to the user of the terminal 20” (paragraph 0034). OKADA depicts in figure 1 a system with an information processing apparatus and terminals, which are connected via a network. The network, OKADA describes, includes both a wired network and a wireless network. OKADA indicates the information processing apparatus provides a Social Network Service to the user of the terminal.
assign, based on the service, the plurality of terminal devices to a group to share, among the plurality of terminal devices, a data communication amount for the provision of the service;
OKADA writes, “As one of the services of the SNS, the information processing apparatus 10 provides a chat service for transmitting and receiving contents such as messages, stamps, still images, and moving images among the terminals 20. The information processing apparatus 10 receives a request for generating a group on the chat service from the terminal 20, to generate a group. The information processing apparatus 10 manages groups of the chat service to which the users belong. In response to receiving from a terminal 20 a content addressed to a group, the information processing apparatus 10 transmits the content to terminals 20 of the users belonging to the group” (paragraph 0035-0036). OKADA specifies that one of the services of the SNS is a chat service. The information processing apparatus generates a group on the chat service. The information processing apparatus, OKADA states, manages groups of the chat service to which the users belong, and transmits the content to terminals of the users that belong to the group. Thereby, indicating the information processing apparatus assigns terminals to groups the apparatus creates and manages.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI to include aspects described by OKADA that “relates to a display control method, a recording medium on which a program is recorded, and a terminal.” OKADA provides the motivation for modification by describing terminals of two different groups communicating with each other through an information processing apparatus that provides Social Network Service (SNS) (paragraphs 0007 and 0034).
MIKI and OKADA fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “determine a resource for allocation to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group based on a start of the provision of the service to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group;” and “and request the cellular communication system to secure the resource for the cellular communication line.”
However, in analogous art, LUO teaches determine a resource for allocation to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group based on a start of the provision of the service to the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group;
LUO writes, “The present application relates to a method and system for discovering and grouping users of a service” (paragraph 0003). LUO adds, “Once the receiving mobile devices are selected, the transmitting mobile device and the selected receiving mobile devices are grouped into one or more groups, and members within a group can communicate with the server as a group. In some embodiments, the system provisions a fixed amount of resources for each group. In some embodiments, the amount of the resources provisioned for a group is determined based on the number of mobile devices/users included in the group. Subsequently, the server provisions resources for individual users in the group (operation 712). The server may provide the same amount of resources to each group member, or the server may provide more resources to members with a higher ranking” (paragraph 0064). LUO states that the method and system of the embodiment is for discovering and group users of a service. LUO explains that after the receiving mobile devices are selected, the transmitting mobile device and the selected receiving devices are grouped, in which the members of a group can communicate with the server as a group. The system, as LOU notes, may provision fixed amount of resources for each group based on the amount of devices or users in the group.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI and OKADA to include aspects described by LUO that “relates to a method and system for discovering and grouping users of a service. More specifically, this application relates to a method and a system that groups users based on the location and orientation of a mobile device.” LUO provides the motivation for modification by stating, "In a variation on this embodiment, the information includes information for distributing resources. The system further places the selected subset of mobile devices into a group, provisions resources for the group based on a total number of mobile devices in the group, and provisions resources for each mobile device in the group" (paragraph 0016).
MIKI, OKADA, and LOU fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “and request the cellular communication system to secure the resource for the cellular communication line.”
However, in analogous art, TERABE teaches and request the cellular communication system to secure the resource for the cellular communication line.
TERABE writes, “…a control unit configured to execute control to secure the resource amount identified
for the communication requirement selected by the user” (paragraph 0008). TERABE indicates the control unit will secure the resource amount identified for the communication requirement selected by the user.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, and LUO to include aspects described by TERABE that “relates to a control apparatus, a control method, and a computer-readable storage medium and specifically relates to technology for assisting the setting of a communication requirement when providing a service.” TERABE provides the motivation for modification stating, “the user-friendliness and the user satisfaction can be improved by presenting to the user options on the basis of the communication requirement corresponding to the service requirement presented by the user and the relaxed communication requirement and the user selection the appropriate communication requirement” (paragraph 0033).
Regarding claim 4, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:
Additionally, MIKI teaches accept an application for use of the service from a user, wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices is associated with the user
MIKI writes, “In step S27, the conference control unit 61 of the conference control unit 61 establishes a
communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the participation request
from the conference client device 10. The conference server device 12 and the conference client device
10 participating in the conference exchange information needed for sharing the conference screen, by
using the established communication line (session)” (paragraph 0101; figure 9). MIKI notes, “The
conference client device 10 may be a PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a mobile
information terminal such as a PDA...” (paragraph 0043). MIKI states, “the conference control unit 61
establishes a communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the
participation request from the conference client device 10.”
and request the cellular communication system for the activation of the cellular communication line for each of the plurality of terminal devices.
MIKI writes, “In step S27, the conference control unit 61 of the conference control unit 61 establishes a
communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the participation request
from the conference client device 10. The conference server device 12 and the conference client device
10 participating in the conference exchange information needed for sharing the conference screen, by
using the established communication line (session)” (paragraph 0101; figure 9). MIKI notes, “The
conference client device 10 may be a PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a mobile
information terminal such as a PDA...” (paragraph 0043). MIKI indicates an activation of the
communication line for the terminal device mentioning that “the conference control unit 61 of the
conference control unit 61 establishes a communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the participation request from the conference client device 10.” The control unit
establishes (i.e. activates) the communication line.
Regarding claim 7, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Additionally, MIKI teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to acquire, from a service server, service information associated with the service, and the service server provides the service to the plurality of terminal devices.
MIKI writes, “In step S27, the conference control unit 61 of the conference control unit 61 establishes a
communication line (session) with the conference client device 10, based on the participation request
from the conference client device 10. The conference server device 12 and the conference client device
10 participating in the conference exchange information needed for sharing the conference screen, by
using the established communication line (session)” (paragraph 0101; figure 9). MIKI notes, “The
conference client device 10 may be a PC, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, a mobile phone, a mobile
information terminal such as a PDA...” (paragraph 0043). MIKI indicates service information is
exchanged between the service server that provides the service to the terminal device when stating,
“The conference server device 12 and the conference client device 10 participating in the conference
exchange information needed for sharing the conference screen, by using the established
communication line (session).”
Regarding claim 8, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Additionally, MIKI teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to notify a service server of at least one of the start of the provision of the service or an end of the provision of the service, and the service server provides the service to the plurality of terminal devices.
MIKI writes, “Note that one of the conference client devices 10 can be operated by the presenter to
request the conference server device 12 to start the conference and end the conference” (paragraph
0044).
Claims 12 and 13 are system and method claims corresponding to the apparatus claim 1 that
has already been rejected above. The applicant’s attention is directed to the rejection of claim 1. Claims
12 and 13 are rejected under the same rational as claim 1.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of MORIOKA (US 20170063701 A1, hereinafter, "MORIOKA").
Regarding claim 2, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus
according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the control unit is further configured to determine, as the resource, an average bandwidth during the provision of the service,” and “and the determination of the average bandwidth is based on at least one of: a packet amount available to the group, a number of the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group, or a providing time of the service.”
However, in analogous art, MORIOKA teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to determine, as the resource, an average bandwidth during the provision of the service,
MORIOKA writes, “...the average data size observation unit 62 of the bandwidth control unit 6 causes
the shared timer 8 to measure the time, and calculates the average usage bandwidth within a
predetermined monitor period” (paragraph 0052). MORIOKA suggests the control unit determines an average bandwidth during the provision of the service.
and the determination of the average bandwidth is based on at least one of: a packet amount available to the group, a number of the plurality of terminal devices corresponding to the group, or a providing time of the service.
MORIOKA writes, “...the average data size observation unit 62 of the bandwidth control unit 6 causes
the shared timer 8 to measure the time, and calculates the average usage bandwidth within a
predetermined monitor period” (paragraph 0052). MORIOKA states the device, “calculates the average
usage bandwidth within a predetermined monitor period”, therefore MORIOKA indicates that the usage
bandwidth is what is used by the group over a predetermined monitor period. LUO previously
discussed a plurality of terminal devices grouped by services, “the amount of the resources provisioned for a group is determined based on the number of mobile devices/users included in the group”, in which the number of terminals may be obtained.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by MORIOKA that “pertains to a bandwidth control circuit, an arithmetic processing apparatus, and a bandwidth control method for the apparatus.” MORIOKA provides the motivation for modification stating, “Each bandwidth control unit includes: a bandwidth monitor unit to monitor a bus usage bandwidth of each of the plurality of the circuit blocks; an operating period observation unit to monitor a start and an end of an operating period of each of the plurality of the circuit blocks; and a limit unit to be enabled to limit the bus usage bandwidth of each of the plurality of the circuit blocks” (abstract).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of ISHIZUKA et al. (US 20230308365 A1, hereinafter, "ISHIZUKA").
Regarding claim 3, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus
according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices receives the service via one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card or an embedded SIM (eSIM).”
However, in analogous art, ISHIZUKA teaches wherein each of the plurality of terminal devices receives the service via one of a subscriber identity module (SIM) card or an embedded SIM (eSIM).
ISHIZUKA writes, “The user device information, as in the SIM information, may be referred to by the
management apparatus 100 to determine the carrier that provides communication service to the
terminal device 200” (paragraph 0065). ISHIZUKA suggests the management apparatus determines the carrier that provides communication service to the terminal device using the SIM information.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by ISHIZUKA that “relates to a management apparatus.” ISHIZUKA provides the motivation for modification stating, “According to the present invention, regarding an application program that is installed in a terminal device capable of being concurrently connected to a plurality of networks and that requests start of QoS control, it is possible to prevent the application program from becoming complicated” (paragraph 0006).
Claim(s) 5-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of KOIKE (US 20210021586 A1, hereinafter, "KOIKE").
Regarding claim 5, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus
according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the control unit is further configured to register the cellular communication line with the cellular communication system.”
However, in analogous art, KOIKE teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to register the cellular communication line with the cellular communication system.
KOIKE writes, “Under this environment, when the terminal 140 is to use a service provided by the server
170, a request from the terminal 140 to the server 170 is relayed by the information processing
apparatus 100. Use of the service involves the server 170 verifying the certificate of the terminal 140.
The server 170 uses a certificate-revocation-list (CRL) distribution server 180 to verify the certificate of
the terminal 140” (paragraph 0023).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by KOIKE that “relates to a management apparatus.” KOIKE provides the motivation for modification stating, “According to the present invention, regarding an application program that is installed in a terminal device capable of being concurrently connected to a plurality of networks and that requests start of QoS control, it is possible to prevent the application program from becoming complicated” (paragraph 0006).
Regarding claim 6, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus
according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the control unit is further configured to cancel the cellular communication line in a case where the provision of the service ends.”
However, in analogous art, KOIKE teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to cancel the cellular communication line in a case where the provision of the service ends.
KOIKE writes, “...the state in which ‘the server 170 finishes providing a service’ is detected by detecting
the case in which communication between the terminal 140 and the server 170 ends, the case in which
a signal indicating the end of the process for a service is received from the server 170, or the like”
(paragraph 0041).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by KOIKE that “relates to a management apparatus.” KOIKE provides the motivation for modification stating, “According to the present invention, regarding an application program that is installed in a terminal device capable of being concurrently connected to a plurality of networks and that requests start of QoS control, it is possible to prevent the application program from becoming complicated” (paragraph 0006).
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of CAKULEV et al. (US 20210037375 A1, hereinafter, "CAKULEV").
Regarding claim 9, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus
according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the control unit is further configured to request the resource from a policy control function (PCF) of the cellular communication system.”
However, in analogous art, CAKULEV teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to request the resource from a policy control function (PCF) of the cellular communication system.
CAKULEV writes, “...the RAN can define and apply a set of policies to the communications session to try
to provide an optimal allocation of the radio access resources to support the communications session.
For example, upon registering and authenticating a UE in a RAN, an access and mobility function (AMF)
device of the RAN may transmit a request to a policy control function (PCF) device to create an access
and mobility policy for the UE...” (paragraph 0010).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by CAKULEV that “In a wireless telecommunications system, such as a 5G/NR wireless telecommunications network, a radio access network (RAN) may include a base station and manage radio access resources to facilitate a communications session between a user equipment (UE) and a core network associated with the wireless telecommunications system.” CAKULEV provides the motivation for modification stating, “In some instances, the RAN can define and apply a set of policies to the communications session to try to provide an optimal allocation of the radio access resources to support the communications session” (paragraph 0010).
Regarding claim 10, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the control unit is further configured to request the resource via a network exposure function (NEF) of the cellular communication system.”
However, in analogous art, CAKULEV teaches wherein the control unit is further configured to request the resource via a network exposure function (NEF) of the cellular communication system.
CAKULEV writes, “NEF 204 can support the exposure of capabilities and/or events in the wireless
telecommunications system to help other entities in the wireless telecommunications system discover
network services and/or utilize network resources efficiently” (paragraph 0029).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by CAKULEV that “In a wireless telecommunications system, such as a 5G/NR wireless telecommunications network, a radio access network (RAN) may include a base station and manage radio access resources to facilitate a communications session between a user equipment (UE) and a core network associated with the wireless telecommunications system.” CAKULEV provides the motivation for modification stating, “In some instances, the RAN can define and apply a set of policies to the communications session to try to provide an optimal allocation of the radio access resources to support the communications session” (paragraph 0010).
Regarding claim 11, MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE teach the information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE fail to explicitly disclose information regarding, “wherein the cellular communication system registers a plurality of cellular communication lines, the plurality of cellular communication lines includes the cellular communication line, and the control unit is further configured to group, among the plurality of cellular communication lines, a set of cellular communication lines with a same data network name (DNN) into the group.”
However, in analogous art, CAKULEV teaches wherein the cellular communication system registers a plurality of cellular communication lines, the plurality of cellular communication lines includes the cellular communication line, and the control unit is further configured to group, among the plurality of cellular communication lines, a set of cellular communication lines with a same data network name (DNN) into the group.
CAKULEV writes, “The registration request may include information relating to a user identity associated
with the UE, a data network name associated with the UE, a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) of
the UE, and/or the like. In some examples, the registration request may include a group identifier of a
group of UEs (e.g., a group of M2M devices and/or the like)” (paragraph 0016).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method and invention of MIKI, OKADA, LUO, and TERABE to include aspects described by CAKULEV that “In a wireless telecommunications system, such as a 5G/NR wireless telecommunications network, a radio access network (RAN) may include a base station and manage radio access resources to facilitate a communications session between a user equipment (UE) and a core network associated with the wireless telecommunications system.” CAKULEV provides the motivation for modification stating, “In some instances, the RAN can define and apply a set of policies to the communications session to try to provide an optimal allocation of the radio access resources to support the communications session” (paragraph 0010).
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 CHRISTOPHER A REYES whose telephone number is (703)756-4558. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 EDT.
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/Christopher A. Reyes/Examiner, Art Unit 2475 8/31/2026
/KHALED M KASSIM/supervisory patent examiner, Art Unit 2475
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