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 § 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.
Claims 1-3, 8, 18, 25-28, 31 and 34-37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nimmala et al (US 2021/0136849) (hereinafter Nimmala).
Regarding claim 1, Nimmala discloses a method performed by a user equipment, UE, having at least two Subscriber Identity Modules, SIM, for handling communication with two or more networks (see Nimmala, Fig. 1, e.g., multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102) the method comprising:
registering with a first wireless communications network associated with a first SIM (e.g., SIM1 402-1) (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., At 420, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM1 402-1 with network elements of a first 5G network, NW1), by providing, to a first network node associated with the first wireless communications network, a first information comprising one or more first capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also indicate device support for a multi-SIM, tunneling feature and can obtain information from the first network, NW1, indicating capability of the first network, NW1, to support the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the second network, NW2, when registering SIM1 402-1);
registering with a second wireless communications network associated with a second SIM (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM2 402-2 with network elements of the second 5G network, NW2), by providing, to a second network node associated with the second wireless communications network, a second information comprising one or more second capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., The multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also provide multi-SIM, tunneling feature capability information to the second network, NW2, and obtain information about the second network's capability to support for the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the first network NW1 when registering SIM2 402-2); and
upon being connected to the first wireless communications network and using the one or more first capabilities from the first information for a service (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 424, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can establish with the first network, NW1, an IMS PDU session for SIM1 using SIM1, identifying ‘ims’ as the DNN for the service for the IMS PDU session), triggering a first request to the first network node to disable a set of capabilities from the one or more first capabilities in the first information provided to the first network node (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended).
Regarding claim 2, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising: connecting to the second network node and using the set of capabilities for a service once the first network node accepts the first request and disables the set of capabilities, such that the UE is connected to the first network node with reduced capabilities without the set of capabilities, and the UE is connected to the second network node using the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462, 464, 468, e.g., he incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
Regarding claim 3, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 2, further comprising: when the UE disconnects from the second network node and continues to be connected to the first network node using the reduced capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], step 428), triggering a second request to the first network node to reenable the set of capabilities for communication with the first network node (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462); and reverting to using at least a portion of the set of capabilities from the first information to connect to the first network node once the first network node accepts the second request and reenables the at least a portion of the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., step 468, e.g., the incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
Regarding claim 8, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 1, wherein one or both the first request and the second request comprise a UE assistance information comprising one or more of: an indication in an In-Device-Coexistence, IDC, assistance information; an indication in the IDC assistance information in combination with a multiple SIM, MUSIM, indication; and a MUSIM assistance information (see Nimmala, p. [0033], e.g., The multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device can indicate to a wireless network a capability to support multiple SIMs and linked PDU sessions for one or more services, and the wireless network can indicate support for tunneled PDU sessions to one or more other wireless networks for one or more services.)
Regarding claim 18, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration message from the first network node when the first network node accepts the first request and disables the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended) and accepts the second request and reenables the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., At 462, SIM2 402-2 of the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 sends a request to the core network of the second network, NW2, to activate the previously established and suspended IMS tunneled PDU session for SIM1).
Regarding claim 25, Nimmala discloses a method performed by a first network node (see Nimmala, Fig. 1, e.g., multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102) associated with a first wireless communications network (e.g., First cellular wireless network 110A), the method comprising: obtaining a registration, with the first wireless communications network associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module, SIM, by receiving, from a user equipment, UE (e.g., SIM1 402-1) (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., At 420, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM1 402-1 with network elements of a first 5G network, NW1), first information comprising one or more first capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also indicate device support for a multi-SIM, tunneling feature and can obtain information from the first network, NW1, indicating capability of the first network, NW1, to support the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the second network, NW2, when registering SIM1 402-1), the UE being simultaneously registered with the first wireless communications network and at least one second wireless communications network associated with a second SIM (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM2 402-2 with network elements of the second 5G network, NW2); and receiving a first request to disable a set of capabilities from the one or more first capabilities in the first information (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended),
when the UE is connected to the first wireless communications network and uses the one or more first capabilities from the first information for a service (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 424, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can establish with the first network, NW1, an IMS PDU session for SIM1 using SIM1, identifying ‘ims’ as the DNN for the service for the IMS PDU session).
Regarding claim 26, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 25, further comprising: accepting the first request and disabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE, such that the UE is connected to the first wireless communications network with reduced capabilities without the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462, 464, 468, e.g., he incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
Regarding claim 27, Nimmala discloses method of claim 26, further comprising: when the UE disconnects from the second wireless communications network and continues to be connected to the first wireless communications network using the reduced capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], step 428), receiving a second request, from the UE, to reenable the set of capabilities for communication with the first wireless communications network (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462); and accepting the second request and reenabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE to thereby allow the UE to revert to using at least a portion of the reenabled set of capabilities from the first information comprising the one or more first capabilities of the UE to connect to the first wireless communications network (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., step 468, e.g., the incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
Regarding claim 28, Nimmala discloses method of claim 27, further comprising sending a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration message when accepting the second request and reenabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE (see Nimmala, p. [0050], e.g., The gNode B can also multiplex together data traffic received on multiple N3 GTP-U tunnels to combine them into a single radio resource control (RRC) connection to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102).
Regarding claim 31, Nimmala discloses the method of claim 25, further comprising sending a radio resource control, RRC, reconfiguration message when accepting the first request and disabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended).
Regarding claim 34, Nimmala discloses a user equipment, UE, having at least two Subscriber Identity Modules, SIM, for communication with two or more networks (see Nimmala, Fig. 1, e.g., multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102), the UE being configured to:
register with a first wireless communications network associated with a first SIM (e.g., SIM1 402-1) (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., At 420, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM1 402-1 with network elements of a first 5G network, NW1), by providing, to a first network node associated with the first wireless communications network, a first information comprising one or more first capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also indicate device support for a multi-SIM, tunneling feature and can obtain information from the first network, NW1, indicating capability of the first network, NW1, to support the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the second network, NW2, when registering SIM1 402-1);
register with a second wireless communications network associated with a second SIM (e.g., SIM2 402-2) (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM2 402-2 with network elements of the second 5G network, NW2), by providing, to a second network node associated with the second wireless communications network, a second information comprising one or more second capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., The multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also provide multi-SIM, tunneling feature capability information to the second network, NW2, and obtain information about the second network's capability to support for the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the first network NW1 when registering SIM2 402-2); and
upon being connected to the first wireless communications network and using the one or more first capabilities from the first information for a service (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 424, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can establish with the first network, NW1, an IMS PDU session for SIM1 using SIM1, identifying ‘ims’ as the DNN for the service for the IMS PDU session), trigger a first request to the first network node to disable a set of capabilities from the one or more first capabilities in the first information provided to the first network node (see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended).
Regarding claim 35, Nimmala discloses the UE according to claim 34, wherein the UE is further configured to connect to the second network node and using the set of capabilities for a service once the first network node accepts the first request and disables the set of capabilities, such that the UE is connected to the first network node with reduced capabilities without the set of capabilities, and the UE is connected to the second network node using the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462, 464, 468, e.g., he incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
Regarding claim 36, Nimmala discloses a first network node associated with a first wireless communications network see Nimmala, Fig. 1, e.g., multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102), the network node being configured to: obtain a registration, with the first wireless communications network associated with a first Subscriber Identity Module, SIM (e.g., SIM1 402-1) (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., At 420, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can register SIM1 402-1 with network elements of a first 5G network, NW1), by receiving, from a user equipment, UE, first information comprising one or more first capabilities of the UE (see Nimmala. Fig. 4, p. [0044], e.g., the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also indicate device support for a multi-SIM, tunneling feature and can obtain information from the first network, NW1, indicating capability of the first network, NW1, to support the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the second network, NW2, when registering SIM1 402-1), the UE is being simultaneously registered with the first wireless communications network and at least one second wireless communications network associated with a second SIM (see Nimmala. Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., The multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can also provide multi-SIM, tunneling feature capability information to the second network, NW2, and obtain information about the second network's capability to support for the multi-SIM, tunneling feature with the first network NW1 when registering SIM2 402-2); and receive a first request to disable a set of capabilities from the one or more first capabilities in the information(see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 430, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can request that the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session be suspended), when the UE is connected to the first wireless communications network and uses the one or more first capabilities from the first information for a service(see Nimmala, Fig. 4A, p. [0044], e.g., At 424, the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 can establish with the first network, NW1, an IMS PDU session for SIM1 using SIM1, identifying ‘ims’ as the DNN for the service for the IMS PDU session).
Regarding claim 37, Nimmala discloses the first network node according to claim 36, wherein the first network node is further configured to communicate with the UE, such that the UE is connected to the first wireless communications network with reduced capabilities without the set of capabilities (see Nimmala, Fig. 4B, p. [0044], e.g., step 462, 464, 468, e.g., he incoming (mobile-terminated) voice or video connection request for SIM1 is provided to the multi-SIM/eSIM wireless device 102 using the SIM1 IMS tunneled PDU session established by SIM2 over the second network, NW2).
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.
Claims 4-6, 15, 29-30 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nimmala in view of Ma (US 2013/0297815).
Regarding claim 4, Nimmala does not expressly disclose the method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a second rate adaptation instruction from the first network node when the first network node accepts the second request and reenables the set of capabilities.
Ma discloses the above recited limitations (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Overall, a client 106 uses an abort mechanism to selectively decrease the encoded bitrate of content being requested, along with bandwidth or throughput estimates to selectively increase bitrate).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Nimmala and Ma to perform rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement.
Regarding claim 5, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 4, wherein the second rate adaptation instruction comprises a recommendation for the UE to increase the bitrate in one or both the uplink and downlink (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Overall, a client 106 uses an abort mechanism to selectively decrease the encoded bitrate of content being requested, along with bandwidth or throughput estimates to selectively increase bitrate).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 3, further comprising triggering adaptation or upgrading of ongoing services to a higher service quality when the first network node accepts the second request (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Overall, a client 106 uses an abort mechanism to selectively decrease the encoded bitrate of content being requested, along with bandwidth or throughput estimates to selectively increase bitrate).
Regarding claim 15, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 1, wherein the first request to the first network node is provided in response to an expiration of a timer that determines when the UE can send requests to one or both of the first and the second network nodes (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0045-0047], e.g., Processing continues to step 406 where an abort timeout check is performed. If the abort timeout has occurred, processing proceeds to step 420).
Regarding claim 29, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 27, further comprising sending a second rate adaptation instruction to the UE when accepting the second request and reenabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE, the second rate adaptation instruction comprising a recommendation for the UE to increase the bitrate in one or both the uplink and downlink (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Overall, a client 106 uses an abort mechanism to selectively decrease the encoded bitrate of content being requested, along with bandwidth or throughput estimates to selectively increase bitrate).
Regarding claim 30, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 27, further comprising triggering an upgrade of a service that has been renegotiated to a lower service quality when accepting the second request and reenabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Calculations include a class-of-service component so that clients of different classes automatically arrive at desired different content delivery rates).
Regarding claim 32, the combined teaching of Nimmala and Ma disclose the method of claim 25, further comprising sending a rate adaptation instruction to the UE when accepting the first request and disabling the set of capabilities for communication with the UE (see Ma, Fig. 5, p. [0044], e.g., a client-based process for performing rate adaptation with class of service differentiation enforcement. Overall, a client 106 uses an abort mechanism to selectively decrease the encoded bitrate of content being requested, along with bandwidth or throughput estimates to selectively increase bitrate).
Conclusion
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/MINH TRANG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477