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 .
2. This office action is a response to an application filed on 05/08/2024 where claims 1-16, 25, 27, 51 are pending. Claims 18-24, 26, 28-50, 52 are cancelled.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/08/2024 has been considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37CFR 1.97.
Drawings
3. The drawings were received on 05/08/2024. These drawing are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
Claim 1, 2, 8, 9, 25, 27, 51 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang-Fu et al. (US 20200359295 A1) hereinafter Huang
As to claim 1. Huang teaches A method performed by a wireless communication device the method comprising ([0023] Fig. 1, method performed by UE)
receiving one or more User Equipment, UE, Route Selection Policy, URSP, rules from a network node; ([0004] [0026] Fig. 1, The URSP can be delivered via an access and mobility management function (AMF) from a policy control function (PCF) to the UE)
receiving traffic control information associated to the one or more URSP rules; ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; Table 1, traffic descriptor of the URSP i ; traffic descriptor (b) the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is released; i.e., traffic control function)
and performing one or more actions based on the one or more URSP rules and the traffic control information. ([0077] Fig. 1, UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules/traffic control, and change the association of an application to a PDU session UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation))
As to claim 2. Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates when the wireless communication device is to evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules. ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation;
As to claim 8. Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; to release an associated Protocol Data Unit, PDU, session and block traffic.
([0077]Fig. 1, The URSP handling layer 111 may request the NAS layer 112 to release an existing PDU session after the re-evaluation; the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic/block traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is release.)
As to claim 9. Huang teaches ,wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates: (a) that the wireless communication device is([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation;
to release an associated Protocol Data Unit, PDU, session and block traffic ([0077]Fig. 1, The URSP handling layer 111 may request the NAS layer 112 to release an existing PDU session after the re-evaluation; the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic/block traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is release.)
, (b) that the wireless communication device is to keep an associated PDU session if established, ([0044] Fig. 1, The URSP handling layer 111 can provide the information on the established PDU session i.e., information saved, to the application layer 110 for associating the application with the established PDU session. )
or (c) that the wireless communication device (112) is to release an associated PDU session if there is a higher precedence URSP rule.
As to claim 25. Huang teaches A wireless communication device comprising:
one or more transmitters ;
one or more receivers ; and
processing circuitry associated with the one or more transmitters (808) and the one or more receivers the processing circuitry configured to cause the wireless communication device to:([0084]Fig. 6, apparatus/UE, includes processing circuitry, memory coupled to processing circuitry, v executes instructions stored in the memory)
receive one or more User Equipment, UE, Route Selection Policy, URSP, rules from a network node ([0004] [0026] Fig. 1, The URSP can be delivered via an access and mobility management function (AMF) from a policy control function (PCF) to the UE)
;receive traffic control information associated to the one or more URSP rules; ; ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; Table 1, traffic descriptor of the URSP ; traffic descriptor (b) the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is released; i.e., traffic control function)
and perform one or more actions based on the one or more URSP rules and the traffic control information. ([0077] Fig. 1, UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules/traffic control, and change the association of an application to a PDU session UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation))
26. (Cancelled)
As to claim 27. Huang teaches A method performed by a network node the method comprising([0023] Fig. 1, a base station )
sending one or more User Equipment, UE, Route Selection Policy, URSP, rules to a wireless communication device; ([0004] [0026] Fig. 1, The URSP can be delivered via an access and mobility management function (AMF) from a policy control function (PCF) to the UE via the base station)
and
sending traffic control information associated to the one or more URSP rules to the wireless communication device ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; Table 1, traffic descriptor of the URSP i ; traffic descriptor (b) the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is released; i.e., traffic control function)
28-50. (Cancelled)
As to claim 51. Huang teaches A network node comprising processing circuitry
configured to cause the network node to:([0085] Fig. 6, base station include processing circuitry)
send one or more User Equipment, UE, Route Selection Policy, URSP, rules to a wireless communication device; ([0004] [0026] Fig. 1, The URSP can be delivered via an access and mobility management function (AMF) from a policy control function (PCF) to the UE via the base station)
and
send traffic control information associated to the one or more URSP rules to the wireless communication device([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; Table 1, traffic descriptor of the URSP i ; traffic descriptor (b) the NAS layer 112 indicates that an existing PDU session used for routing traffic of an application based on a URSP rule is released; i.e., traffic control function)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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) 3 -7, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang and further in view of Xiong et al. (US 20220225058 A1)hereinafter Xiong
As to claim 3 Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation;
to evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules immediately
Huang does not teach to evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules immediately
Xiong teaches to evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules immediately ([0092] If the re-evaluation leads to a change of the application to PDU session association, e.g., the application is to be associated with another PDU session or a new PDU session needs to be established, the UE may enforce such changes in a timely manner based on implementation, e.g., immediately or when UE enters Connection Management-IDLE (CM-IDLE) state.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 4. Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates when the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; )
Huang does not teach wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates when the wireless communication device is to apply results of evaluation or re-evaluation the one or more URSP rules.
Xiong teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates when the wireless communication device is to apply results of evaluation or re-evaluation the one or more URSP rules. ([0088] [0092]UE's URSP is updated or some event occurs, the UE can perform matching process again based on the new URSP; If the re-evaluation leads to a change of the application to PDU session association, e.g., the application is to be associated with another PDU session or a new PDU session needs to be established, the UE may enforce such changes in a timely manner based on implementation)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 5 Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; )
Huang does not teach to apply results of evaluation or re-evaluation of the one or more URSP rules immediately following the evaluation or re-evaluation of the one or more URSP rules.
Xiong teaches to apply results of evaluation or re-evaluation of the one or more URSP rules immediately following the evaluation or re-evaluation of the one or more URSP rules. ([0088] [0092] UE's URSP is updated or some event occurs, the UE can perform matching process again based on the new URSP ;If the re-evaluation leads to a change of the application to PDU session association, e.g., the application is to be associated with another PDU session or a new PDU session needs to be established, the UE may enforce such changes in a timely manner based on implementation, e.g., immediately or when UE enters Connection Management-IDLE (CM-IDLE) state.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 6 Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates when the wireless communication device ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; )
Huang does not teach to both evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules and apply results of the evaluation or re- evaluation of the one or more URSP rules
Xiong teaches . to both evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules and apply results of the evaluation or re- evaluation of the one or more URSP rules ([0088] [0092] UE's URSP is updated or some event occurs, the UE can perform matching process again based on the new URSP ;If the re-evaluation leads to a change of the application to PDU session association, e.g., the application is to be associated with another PDU session or a new PDU session needs to be established, the UE may enforce such changes in a timely manner based on implementation, e.g., immediately or when UE enters Connection Management-IDLE (CM-IDLE) state.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 7 Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; )
Huang does not teach to both evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules and apply results of the evaluation or re- evaluation of the one or more URSP rules immediately.
Xiong teaches to both evaluate or re-evaluate the one or more URSP rules and apply results of the evaluation or re- evaluation of the one or more URSP rules immediately([0088] [0092] UE's URSP is updated or some event occurs, the UE can perform matching process again based on the new URSP ;If the re-evaluation leads to a change of the application to PDU session association, e.g., the application is to be associated with another PDU session or a new PDU session needs to be established, the UE may enforce such changes in a timely manner based on implementation, e.g., immediately or when UE enters Connection Management-IDLE (CM-IDLE) state.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 13. Huang teaches ,wherein the one or more URSP rules comprises a URSP rule, ([0034] 0034] It is noted that only one URSP rule in the URSP entity can be a default URSP rule)
Huang does not teach and receiving the traffic control information comprises receiving the traffic control information as part of the URSP rule.
Xiong teaches and receiving the traffic control information comprises receiving the traffic control information as part of the URSP rule. ([0108], the terminal device may receive URSP information sent by a PCF during a registration process. That is, after sending a registration request, the terminal device receives user equipment policy information sent by the PCF, where the user equipment policy information includes the URSP information. )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 14. Huang does not teach wherein the one or more URSP rules comprises a set of URSP rules, and the traffic control information is applicable to the set of URSP rules.
Xiong teaches wherein the one or more URSP rules comprises a set of URSP rules, ([0076] A URSP includes one or more URSP rules, and each URSP Rule has a precedence; A URSP Rule can have multiple route selection descriptors, and each route selection descriptor has precedence.)
and the traffic control information is applicable to the set of URSP rules. ([0076] A URSP includes one or more URSP rules, and each URSP Rule has a precedence)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Xiong with the teaching of Huang because Xiong teaches enforcing changes in a timely manner immediately would reduce complexity of network deployment and improving the efficiency of multicast communication. (Xiong [0011])
As to claim 15. The combination of Huang and Xiong specifically Huang teaches wherein the set of URSP rules comprises one or more URSP rules. ([0034] It is noted that only one URSP rule in the URSP entity can be a default URSP rule. The default URSP rule can contain a “match all” traffic descriptor. If the default URSP rule and the one or more non-default URSP rules are included in the URSP entity,)
As to claim 16. The combination of Huang and Xiong specifically Huang teaches, wherein the set of URSP rules comprises two or more URSP rules ([0034] It is noted that only one URSP rule in the URSP entity can be a default URSP rule. The default URSP rule can contain a “match all” traffic descriptor. If the default URSP rule and the one or more non-default URSP rules are included in the URSP entity i.e., two or more URSP rules)
Claim(s) 11, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang and further in view of Yu et al. (EP4184988 (A1) )hereinafter Yu
As to claim 11Huang teaches wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation;
Huang does not teach to stop using a particular network slice.
Yu teaches to stop using a particular network slice. ([0028] Because the network slice resources are limited, the application server determines URSP usage permission of the application account as the unavailable permission, to delete the URSP in a terminal device associated with the application account, so that the application account stops using the network slice of the application, to prevent the application account from occupying the network slice resources.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Yu with the teaching of Huang because Yu teaches deleting by the terminal device actively delete all URSPs related to the application, and deactivate a PDU session related to the URSP thereby prevent application to occupy network slice resource. (Yu [0232]).
As to claim 12. Huang teaches ,wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates that the wireless communication device is ([0027] [0029][0077] Fig. 1, Table 1, he UE 101 may re-evaluate the URSP rules and change the association of an application to a PDU session: (a) the UE 101 performs periodic URSP rules re-evaluation based on UE implementation; 0
Huang does not teach to block a particular application or traffic flow from accessing the network.
Yu teaches to block a particular application or traffic flow from accessing the network. ([0028] Because the network slice resources are limited, the application server determines URSP usage permission of the application account as the unavailable permission, to delete the URSP in a terminal device associated with the application account, so that the application account stops using the network slice of the application, to prevent the application account from occupying the network slice resources.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Yu with the teaching of Huang because Yu teaches deleting by the terminal device actively delete all URSPs related to the application, and deactivate a PDU session related to the URSP thereby prevent application to occupy network slice resource. (Yu [0232]).
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang, Xiong and further in view of Chen et al. (US 20240107417 A1)hereinafter Chen
As to claim 17 The combination of Huang and Xiong does not teach wherein the set of URSP rules belong to a same UE policy section.
Chen teaches wherein the set of URSP rules belong to a same UE policy section. ([0055] A terminal device determines a first UE route selection policy URSP, where the first URSP includes a first URSP rule and a second URSP rule, the first URSP rule includes a first parameter combination, the first parameter combination is a data network name DNN and single network slice selection assistance information S-NSSAI that are matched when the terminal device accesses a first application, the second URSP rule includes a second parameter combination, the second parameter combination is a DNN and S-NSSAI that are matched when the terminal device accesses a second application, the first parameter combination and the second parameter combination are the same, i.e., same policy )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Chen with the teaching of Huang and Xiong because Chen teaches that matching UE an existing PDU session according to the first URSP rule, would allow to determine based on a matching result, to use the existing session or newly established session to transmit the service of the first application. (Chen [0236])
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 10 prior art Xu et al. [US 20220104117 A1] teaches in [0040] For the URSP policy in the NR system, a terminal device associates an application with a corresponding PDU session for transmitting based on the URSP policy; in a specific implementation, when data appears at an application layer, the terminal device uses a URSP rule in the URSP policy to check whether a feature of the application data matches a Traffic Descriptor of a certain rule in the URSP rules shown in table 1, the order of checking is determined according to the precedence in the Traffic Descriptor in the URSP rules;
And prior art Lee et al. [US 20220386100 A1] disclose in [0109] Referring to FIG. 3, in operation 301, the V-PCF may transmit, to a H-PCF, an indicator requesting precedence of the V-URSP. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the precedence of the V-URSP may indicate that the V-URSP has a higher order of precedence than a H-URSP while selecting a policy of a UE. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, operation 301 may be triggered based on a message including an indicator requesting transmission or allowance of transmission of the V-URSP of the V-PCF transmitted from an AMF or a notification message transmitted from a visited unified data repository (V-UDR) of a visited PLMN. According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the indicator requesting the precedence of the V-URSP may be referred to as a V-URSP precedence request.
However, combination or prior arts records Xu and Lee does not teach
For claim 10
wherein the traffic control information comprises information that indicates:
(c) that the wireless communication device is to release an associated PDU session if there is a higher precedence URSP rule,
(d) that the wireless communication device is to re-register and first release an associated PDU session if there is a higher precedence URSP rule, or
(e) that the wireless communication device is to re-register and release an associated PDU session after establishing a new PDU session due to a higher precedence URSP rule.
Therefore, claim 10 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objections set forth in this office action and in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
BHOWMIK; Samiran et al. [US 20220132299 A1] METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SIM MANAGEMENT ON A DSDA/DSDS DEVICEXU;
YANG et al. [US 20220070100 A1] POLICY MAPPING METHOD AND DEVICE, AND USER EQUIPMENT
Keller; Ralf et al. [US 20220272620 A1] Session Establishment with a Local Serving Network
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/ATIQUE AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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