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 .
This Office Action is in response to filing on 02/18/2026.
Claims 4 and 43-45 have been cancelled.
Claims 52-53 are newly added
Claims 1-3, 5-11, 42 and 46-53 are currently pending and have been considered below.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/18/2026 has been entered.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 02/20/2024. These drawings are reviewed and accepted by the Examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/26/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 01/20/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Please see discussion below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-11, 42 and 46-53 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over applicant’s submission of prior art Peirong et al (CN 112243243) in view of Hongmei et al (CN 112153719).
Regarding claim 1, Peirong discloses a user equipment (Figure 34, user equipment) comprising:
at least one processor (Figure 4, processor 42); and at least one memory (Figure 4, memory 41) storing instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment at least to perform:
receiving, from an access and mobility management function, configured network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI) ([0052])including first information of a network slice that is to be made available to the user equipment on a temporary basis, the first information comprising selection assistance information (S-NSSAI), ([0051]: “Step 16 shows the AMF entity initiating configuration update process.” [0052]: “The AMF entity initiates an update request configuration to the user matching temporary network slice, which carries allowed access network slice identification information including temporary network slice identification information, i.e., the updated allowed NSSAI that includes the S-NSSAI (Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information); the network slice selection policy (NSSP) that characterizes the correspondence between the temporary network slice and its matching application, that is, the NSSP is generated according to the application information matching the temporary network slice; …;”and Figure 1, step 16 and Figure 2, step 28); and
a time of availability] of the network slice ([0003]: states that “URSP contains several NSSPs (Network Slice Selection Policy), and each NSSP is the correspondence between an application and a network slice. The user equipment will select which network slice to use for the application based on the NSSP in the URSP; and
accessing the network slice in accordance with the [timing information] of the network slice ( [0052]: further states that “the AMF entity initiates a configuration update request to the user matching the temporary network slice, which carries the network slide identification information allowed to access including the temporary network slide identification information …”).
Peirong does not expressly disclose wherein the timing information comprises a validity timer in the form of periodic time interval.
However, Hongmei [0010], discloses that the temporary network slice when the duration of the temporary network slice exceed a predetermined time, wherein the start time of the temporary network slice is earlier than the start time of the activity duration (i.e., “timing information indicating time” or in form of “periodic time interval”) and the end time of the temporary network slice is later than the end time of the activity duration; and, Hongmei [0039], the 5G terminal accesses the temporary network slice, sending an identifier of the temporary network slice to the 5G terminal so that the 5G terminal displays that it has accessed the temporary network slice.
Thus, receiving timing information with validity timer (time, period, or interval) (e.g., duration of the temporary network slice).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the mechanism of Peirong with the mechanisms of Hongmei to include information indicating timing information as taught by Hongmei for the purpose of adjusting the resources dedicated or available to the network slice and therefore guaranteeing efficient resource distribution among different slices and applications.
Regarding claim 2, in the obvious combination, Peirong discloses the user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to receive the first information and the second information in a message of a user equipment configuration update procedure ([0010]: The AMF entity initiates a configuration update process to the user) or in a registration accept message
Regarding claim 3, in the obvious combination, Peirong discloses the user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to receive a user equipment configuration update command from the access and mobility management function, the user equipment configuration update command comprising the first information and the first information ([0010]:The AMF entity initiates a configuration update process to the user who matches the temporary network slice to instruct the user to update the temporary network slice to a network slice that is allowed to be accessed, and adds a network slice selection policy that characterizes the correspondence between the temporary network slice and its matching application, so that the user can carry the matching application on the temporary network slice.)
4. (Canceled)
Regarding claim 5, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the validity timer is in the form of or more of: an absolute time interval; or a time interval relative to a reference (Hongmei, [0010] discloses that the temporary network slice when the duration of the temporary network slice exceed a predetermined time, wherein the start time of the temporary network slice is earlier than the start time of the activity duration and the end time of the temporary network slice is alter than the end time of the activity duration. Thus, a validity time) tim
Regarding claim 6, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim [[4]]1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to receive one or more timing information comprises at least one of: a first validity timer; or a second validity timer ([0047] states that “after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer (e.g., “validity time allowed to use network slice”) may be started).
Regarding claim 7, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim 6, wherein the first validity timer comprises a deployment time of the network slice ([0047] states that “after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer (e.g., “validity time allowed to use network slice”) may be started).
Regarding claim 8, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim 6, wherein the second validity timer comprises a time for which the user equipment is allowed to use the network slice ([0047] For example, after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer may be started).
Regarding claim 9, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim [[4]]1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: automatically considering the network slice as rejected when the validity timer expires (Hongmei, [0010] discloses that the temporary network slice when the duration of the temporary network slice exceed a predetermined time, wherein the start time of the temporary network slice is earlier than the start time of the activity duration and the end time of the temporary network slice is later than the end time of the activity duration).
Regarding claim 10, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim [[4]]1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: stopping a packet data unit session when the validity timer expires ([0047], “when the timer expires, the temporary network slice can be removed”).
Regarding claim 11, in the obvious combination, Hongmei discloses the user equipment according to claim [[4]]1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to perform: when the validity timer expires, enabling an[[y]] ongoing packet data unit session[[s]] associated with the network slice to be completed; and preventing a[[ny]] new packet data unit session[[s]] associated with the network slice from being started ([0047], “after instantiating a temporary network slice, a timer may be started; [0046], “in order to avoid waste of resources of temporary network slices, if the duration of the temporary network slice exceeds a predetermined time, the temporary network slice can be dismantled to release network resources in time”).
12-41 (Canceled)
Claim 42 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. (Peirong, “computer readable storage having a computer program stored, and processor …”, claim 1)).
43-45 (Canceled)
Claim 46 contains subject matter similar to claim 5, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 47 contains subject matter similar to claim 7, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 48 contains subject matter similar to claim 9, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 49 contains subject matter similar to claim 10, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 50 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 51 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 52 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale. (Peirong, Figure 3, “user equipment”).
Claim 53 contains subject matter similar to claim 1, and thus, is rejected under similar rationale.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20230053127 Sugawara: PDU session establishment request message including an S-NSSAI and a PDU session ID, and receives a PDU session establishment accept message including the S-NSSAI, the PDU session ID, a first cause value, a first back-off timer value, a first Session-AMBR IE, and a second Session-AMBR IE.
US 12219356 to Faccin et al: Enable access and use of network slices by user equipment devices connected to a network (e.g., 5G or New Radio network) via network components associated with a service provider by generating an allowed network slice selection assistance information.
CN 111165025 to Deng et al: Relating to the technical field of communication, which can slice resource slice by the terminal application terminal information corresponding to the terminal slice function and network slice function synergy working.
US 20230156583 to Murray et al: systems, or devices may assist in performing slice-based cell selection and reselection, offloading of initial access attempts for a given slice to a specific frequency layer, performing slice-aware PLMN selection, performing slice-based barring, performing slice-based Random Access.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JULIO R PEREZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7846. The examiner can normally be reached 10Am - 6PM EST M-F.
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/JULIO R PEREZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2644