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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-4, 8-11, 16 have been examined and are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
An initialed and dated copy of Applicant’s IDS form 1449 submitted 06/12/2024 is attached to the instant office action. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "”the first mobile virtual network operator” in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "”the second mobile virtual network operator” in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2-5 are rejected for having the same limitations as claim 1 above.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "”the first mobile virtual network operator” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "”the second mobile virtual network operator” in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 9-11 are rejected for having the same limitations as claim 1 above.
Claims 9-11 are rejected for having the same limitations as claim 6 above.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "”the first mobile virtual network operator” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "”the second mobile virtual network operator” in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5, 9-12, 16 rejected under 35 USC 112, but would be allowable if amended to overcome the 112 rejections.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:: The prior art teaches the general concepts of communication between a terminal and a data center having virtual networks operated by different mobile virtual network operators. For example, Parker (US 2013/0121207), teaches a data center including multiple virtual networks performing virtual mobile core and cloud functions (inclusive of the mobile virtual network operators) communicating with core networks (i.e. inclusive of the network operators) in which traffic for a particular network is routed from a facility in the core network. In another example, Maria (US 2012/0287781) discloses a mediator for MVNO in the core network side that identifies and routes traffic destined for particular MVNOs from different network operators. Other prior arts such as Fujinami (US 2018/0035284), discloses general concepts of routing traffic for an MVNO to which a terminal subscribes based on PLMN ID and establishment of EPS bearers in which a terminal communicates with the Internet and the like via the EPS bearer constructed in a MVNO operated virtual network. Van der Merwe et al. (US 2013/0054763), discloses aspects of virtual tunneling to allow for a mobile device to communicate with virtual machines in a MVNO operated network. Wakayama et al. (US 2010/0014532), discloses establishing a tunnel between an MNO and corresponding MVNOs to allow for a packet to be transmitted appropriately to the network of the MVNO to which the user who sends the corresponding packet belongs. While each of the claim limitations can be taught separately, there is no combination of prior art that teaches the claim as a whole.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2014/0362807 A1 to Bhatnagar, directed to establishing a tunnel between wireless services gateway and data service gateway
US 2016/0212654 A1 to Itoh et al, directed to establishing a tunnel corresponding to a bearer between a base station and a gateway apparatus.
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/JENKEY VAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477