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
1. Applicant’s arguments 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.
Specifically, the arguments being presented via the amendments are address utilizing the references of Hering et al. (US 20230412893 A1) and Wang (US 20210392469 A1), as these teach the newly added amended subject matter.
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.
2. Claims 1, 3-11 and 14, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thiebaut et al. (US 20220200813 A1) in view of Rossbach et al. (US 20230269620 A1), Hering et al. (US 20230412893 A1), and in view of Wang (US 20210392469 A1).
Claim 1 Thiebaut teaches a session management function (SMF) of a network architecture, comprising:
at least one memory; (FIG. 11, ¶0239, Processor 111/115) and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (FIG. 11, ¶0240, Memory 112/116) and configured to cause the SMF to:
construct traffic handling information (FIG. 5, S53, ¶0097, generating a first rule related to traffic offloading, i.e. traffic handling information) based on traffic configuration information obtained from a network entity; (FIG. 5, step S51 and S52, ¶0097, constructing based on the obtained information and pre-rule, i.e., traffic configuration information obtained from a session management entity, i.e. a network entity) and
transmit, to a user plane function (UPF), the constructed traffic handling information. (FIG. 5, step S55, ¶0097, transmitting the first rule to the user plan function)
However, Thiebaut does not explicitly teach extended reality (XR) traffic; and
wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Rossbach teaches extended reality (XR) traffic configuration information. (¶0136, XR traffic pattern characteristics, wherein pattern characteristics comprise configuration information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut to incorporate the extended reality (XR) techniques for applications and data taught in Rossbach in order to more effectively utilize network resources for extended reality applications and programs.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Hering teaches wherein extracting application-aware parameters from an N6 interface. (Hering, ¶0068, extracting features, i.e. application-aware parameters via an N6 interface)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach to gather data related to relevant applications as described in Hering in order to more effectively manage network resources.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Wang teaches paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface. (Wang, ¶0148, including in an external header of a N3 or N9 interface GTP-U information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering to share data related to relevant applications as described in Wang in order to more effectively manage network resources.
Claim 3 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the XR traffic configuration information is an XR traffic indication. (Rossbach, ¶0136, wherein XR traffic pattern characteristics comprise XR traffic indications)
Claim 4 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the XR traffic configuration information further includes possible values of packet characteristic information. (Rossbach, ¶0136, wherein XR traffic includes pattern characteristics, i.e. packet characteristic information)
Claim 5 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to obtain the XR traffic configuration information as part of a policy and charging control (PCC) rule (Thiebaut, ¶0097, wherein the traffic configuration information is part of a pre-rule, i.e. PCC rule) from a policy control function (PCF). (Rossbach, ¶0125, from a policy control function)
Claim 6 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to obtain the XR traffic configuration information as part of packet flow description (PFD) management (Thiebaut, ¶0125, wherein the traffic configuration information is part of flow management, i.e. a rule for managing flow) from a PFD function in a network exposure function (NEF). (Rossbach, ¶0125, from a network exposure function)
Claim 7 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the XR traffic handling information comprises a mapping relationship between a quality of service (QoS) flow identifier (QFI) and packet characteristic information. (Rossbach, ¶0128, mapping the QoS/QFI to the XR data traffic, i.e. packet characteristic info)
Claim 8 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 1, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to transmit correlation of quality of service (QoS) flow identifiers (QFIs) to a radio access network (RAN) node. (Rossbach, ¶0124, transmitting to a radio access network interface)
Claim 9 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 7, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to transmit, to a radio access network (RAN) node, the mapping relationship between the QFI and the packet characteristic information. (Rossbach, ¶0124, transmitting the traffic configuration information, i.e. the mapping relationship, to a radio access network interface)
Claim 10 Thiebaut teaches a user plane function (UPF) of a network architecture, comprising:
at least one memory; (FIG. 11, ¶0238, a network node having processor 111/115) and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (FIG. 11, ¶0238, a network node having memory 112/116) and configured to cause the UPF to:
receive, from a session management function (SMF), traffic handling information; (FIG. 5, step S55, ¶0097, receiving from a SMF the first rule to the user plan function by the UPF) and
process packets carrying traffic in response to the received traffic handling information. (¶0097, wherein the UPF processes received traffic according to the rule)
However, Thiebaut does not explicitly teach extended reality (XR) traffic, and
wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Rossbach teaches extended reality (XR) traffic configuration information. (¶0136, XR traffic pattern characteristics, wherein pattern characteristics comprise configuration information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut to incorporate the extended reality (XR) techniques for applications and data taught in Rossbach in order to more effectively utilize network resources for extended reality applications and programs.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Hering teaches wherein extracting application-aware parameters from an N6 interface. (Hering, ¶0068, extracting features, i.e. application-aware parameters via an N6 interface)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach to gather data related to relevant applications as described in Hering in order to more effectively manage network resources.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Wang teaches paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface. (Wang, ¶0148, including in an external header of a N3 or N9 interface GTP-U information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering to share data related to relevant applications as described in Wang in order to more effectively manage network resources.
Claim 11 is taught by Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang as described for Claim 5.
Claim 14 Thiebaut teaches a method performed by a session management function (SMF) of a network architecture, the method comprising:
constructing traffic handling information (FIG. 5, S53, ¶0097, generating a first rule related to traffic offloading, i.e. traffic handling information) based on traffic configuration information obtained from a network entity; (FIG. 5, step S51 and S52, ¶0097, constructing based on the obtained information and pre-rule, i.e., traffic configuration information obtained from a session management entity, i.e. a network entity) and
transmitting, to a user plane function (UPF), the constructed traffic handling information. (FIG. 5, step S55, ¶0097, transmitting the first rule to the user plan function)
However, Thiebaut does not explicitly teach extended reality (XR) traffic, and
wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Rossbach teaches extended reality (XR) traffic configuration information. (¶0136, XR traffic pattern characteristics, wherein pattern characteristics comprise configuration information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut to incorporate the extended reality (XR) techniques for applications and data taught in Rossbach in order to more effectively utilize network resources for extended reality applications and programs.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Hering teaches wherein extracting application-aware parameters from an N6 interface. (Hering, ¶0068, extracting features, i.e. application-aware parameters via an N6 interface)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach to gather data related to relevant applications as described in Hering in order to more effectively manage network resources.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Wang teaches paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface. (Wang, ¶0148, including in an external header of a N3 or N9 interface GTP-U information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering to share data related to relevant applications as described in Wang in order to more effectively manage network resources.
Claim 16 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 14, and further teaches wherein the XR traffic configuration information is an XR traffic indication. (Rossbach, ¶0136, wherein XR traffic pattern characteristics comprise XR traffic indications)
Claim 17 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 14, and further teaches wherein the XR traffic configuration information further includes possible values of packet characteristic information. (Rossbach, ¶0136, wherein XR traffic includes pattern characteristics, i.e. packet characteristic information)
Claim 18 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 14, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to obtain the XR traffic configuration information as part of a policy and charging control (PCC) rule (Thiebaut, ¶0097, wherein the traffic configuration information is part of a pre-rule, i.e. PCC rule) from a policy control function (PCF). (Rossbach, ¶0125, from a policy control function)
Claim 19 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 14, and further teaches wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the SMF to obtain the XR traffic configuration information as part of packet flow description (PFD) management (Thiebaut, ¶0125, wherein the traffic configuration information is part of flow management, i.e. a rule for managing flow) from a PFD function in a network exposure function (NEF). (Rossbach, ¶0125, from a network exposure function)
Claim 20 Thiebaut teaches a processor for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one controller (FIG. 11, ¶0239, Processor 111/115, Examiner interprets Claim 20 as the processor as the SMF and the controller as its processor) coupled with at least one memory (FIG. 11, ¶0240, Memory 112/116) and configured to cause the processor to:
construct traffic handling information (FIG. 5, S53, ¶0097, generating a first rule related to traffic offloading, i.e. traffic handling information) based on traffic configuration information obtained from a network entity; (FIG. 5, step S51 and S52, ¶0097, constructing based on the obtained information and pre-rule, i.e., traffic configuration information obtained from a session management entity, i.e. a network entity) and
transmit, to a user plane function (UPF), the constructed traffic handling information. (FIG. 5, step S55, ¶0097, transmitting the first rule to the user plan function)
However, Thiebaut does not explicitly teach extended reality (XR) traffic, and
wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Rossbach teaches extended reality (XR) traffic configuration information. (¶0136, XR traffic pattern characteristics, wherein pattern characteristics comprise configuration information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut to incorporate the extended reality (XR) techniques for applications and data taught in Rossbach in order to more effectively utilize network resources for extended reality applications and programs.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to extract application-aware parameters from an N6 interface and paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Hering teaches wherein extracting application-aware parameters from an N6 interface. (Hering, ¶0068, extracting features, i.e. application-aware parameters via an N6 interface)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach to gather data related to relevant applications as described in Hering in order to more effectively manage network resources.
However, Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering does not explicitly teach wherein the XR data traffic handling information instructs the UPF to paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface.
From a related technology, Wang teaches paste the application-aware parameters into an extended general packet radio service (GPRS) tunnelling protocol user plane (GTP-U) header of an N3 interface or an N9 interface. (Wang, ¶0148, including in an external header of a N3 or N9 interface GTP-U information)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach and Hering to share data related to relevant applications as described in Wang in order to more effectively manage network resources.
Claim 21 is taught by Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang as described for Claim 7.
Claim 22 is taught by Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang as described for Claim 15.
Claim 23 is taught by Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang as described for Claim 4.
3. Claims 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thiebaut et al. (US 20220200813 A1) in view of Rossbach et al. (US 20230269620 A1), Hering et al. (US 20230412893 A1), and Wang (US 20210392469 A1) and in further view of Yang et al. (US 20240414586 A1).
Claim 12 Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang teaches Claim 11, but does not explicitly teach wherein to process the packets carrying the XR traffic, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UPF to mark each of the packets carrying the XR traffic with the QFI based on the packet characteristic information received from a user plane.
Yang teaches mark each of the packets carrying the XR traffic with the QFI based on the packet characteristic information. (¶0056, marking each XR packet with the QFI)
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Thiebaut in view of Rossbach, Hering, and Wang to incorporate the teachings of Yang to distinguish between XR traffic using the QFI in order to more effectively utilize network resources for extended reality applications and traffic.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 PALACA CADORNA whose telephone number is (571)270-0584. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00-7:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, John Follansbee can be reached at (571) 272-3964. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHRISTOPHER P CADORNA/Examiner, Art Unit 2444
/JOHN A FOLLANSBEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2444