DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
2. Claims 10 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
a. Claim 10 is suggested to depend upon claim 9 (see the limitation “the at least one second data communication…”).
b. Claim 20 is suggested to depend upon claim 19 (see the limitation “the at least one second data communication…”).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-6 and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chughtai et al. (US 2019/0373447).
Regarding claim 1, Chugthai et al. discloses a method performed between a cellular router and an apparatus (SIM directory server as disclosed in section 0147) to establish data communication, comprising:
(a) at the cellular router: sending at least one request to the apparatus (request to SIM directory server as disclosed in section 0147);
(b) at the apparatus: retrieving , based on the at least one request, first subscriber identification module (SIM) profile information (by selecting a SIM card for the cellular router as disclosed in sections 0149-0150, wherein the selected SIM card includes profile (connectivity) information as disclosed in section 0156) of at least one first SIM;
(c) at the apparatus: sending (through reply as disclosed in section 0156) the first SIM profile (connectivity) information to the cellular router; and
(d) at the cellular router: establishing, based on the first SIM profile information, at least one first data communication (Internet connection as disclosed in section 158, see also section 0169).
Regarding claim 2, Chughtai et al. discloses selecting, based on a SIM selection policy (as disclosed in section 0149), the at least one first SIM in a plurality of the SIMs.
Regarding claim 3, Chughtai et al. discloses the SIM selection policy includes at least one of: a SIM category, a frequency band supported by a SIM, frequency bands supported by a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, a tariff price (as disclosed in section 0149, see also section 0152), a network performance history of a SIM, services offered by a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, service quality of a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, an administrator preference, a geolocation of the cellular router, billing cycle information, position of a SIM placed in a massive SIM apparatus (MSA), and a time.
Regarding claim 4, Chughtai et al. discloses the plurality of SIMs are housed in the apparatus (SIM directory server as disclosed in section 0147) or in at least one MSA connected to the apparatus.
Regarding claim 5, Chughtai et al. discloses wherein the plurality of SIMs are embedded SIMs (eSIMs), see sections 0137-0140, wherein the SIMs are either embedded in SIM bank A or SIM bank B (see in particular section 0140).
Regarding claim 6, Chughtai et al. discloses the at least one first data communication is established using at least one first wireless carrier connection (wireless server providers as disclosed in section 0164) through at least one first wireless communication module (WCM) as disclosed in section 0164.
Regarding claim 11, Chughtai et al. discloses a system (see Fig. 8) to establish data communication, comprising:
cellular router (block 800); and
an apparatus (SIM directory server, block 804);
wherein the cellular router (see Fig. 3A, sections 0055-0057) comprises:
at least one first processing unit (block 303); and at least one first non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (block 302) storing program instructions executable by the at least one first processing unit for:
(a) sending at least one request (request to SIM directory server 804 as disclosed in section 0147) to the apparatus;
(b) establishing, based on first subscriber identification module (SIM) profile information of at least one first SIM (by using a selected SIM card for the cellular router as disclosed in sections 0149-0150, wherein the selected SIM card includes profile (connectivity) information as disclosed in section 0156), at least one first data communication (Internet connection as disclosed in section 158, see also section 0169);
wherein the apparatus (see Fig. 12, sections 0161-0162) comprises:
at least one second processing unit (block 1202); and
at least one second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (block 1201) storing program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit for:
(c) retrieving, based on the at least one request, the first SIM profile information (by selecting a SIM card for the cellular router as disclosed in sections 0149-0150, wherein the selected SIM card includes profile (connectivity) information as disclosed in section 0156);
(d) sending (through reply as disclosed in section 0156) the first SIM profile information to the cellular router.
Regarding claim 12, Chughtai et al. discloses wherein the at least one second non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further storing program instructions executable by the at least one second processing unit for: before performing step (c), selecting, based on a SIM selection policy (as disclosed in section 0149), the at least one first SIM in a plurality of the SIMs.
Regarding claim 13, Chughtai et al. discloses wherein the SIM selection policy includes at least one of: a SIM category, a frequency band supported by a SIM, frequency bands supported by a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, a tariff price (as disclosed in section 0149, see also section 0152), a network performance history of a SIM, services offered by a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, service quality of a wireless carrier network corresponding to a SIM, an administrator preference, a geolocation of the cellular router, billing cycle information, position of a SIM placed in a massive SIM apparatus (MSA), and a time.
Regarding claim 14, Chughtai et al. discloses the plurality of SIMs are housed in the apparatus (SIM directory server as disclosed in section 0147) or in at least one MSA connected to the apparatus.
Regarding claim 15, Chughtai et al. discloses wherein the plurality of SIMs are embedded SIMs (eSIMs), see sections 0137-0140, wherein the SIMs are either embedded in SIM bank A or SIM bank B (see in particular section 0140).
Regarding claim 16, Chughtai et al. discloses the at least one first data communication is established using at least one first wireless carrier connection (wireless server providers as disclosed in section 0164) through at least one first wireless communication module (WCM) as disclosed in section 0164.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 7-10 and 10-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form (and above objections overcome) including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CURTIS B ODOM whose telephone number is (571)272-3046. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5.
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, Hannah S Wang can be reached at (571)-272-9018. 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.
/CURTIS B ODOM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631 August 5, 2026
Prosecution Insights