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 .
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, 6, 8, 9, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by De Foy et al (US 2023/0413212, hereinafter De Foy).
Regarding claim 1, De Foy discloses a device selection method, comprising: receiving, by an edge enabler server (EES) from a terminal device, information for requesting to determine a first edge application server (EAS) for the terminal device (WTRU sends an EAS discovery request to the EES, Para [0099]); after the EES receives the information for requesting to determine the EAS for the terminal device, determining, by the EES, the first EAS based on at least one of information of a first network operator serving the terminal device or information of a first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device (EES may select an EAS in the same data network, Para [0096], selecting an in-UPDN EAS, the EES and EAS are in the same data network (DNN1) and WTRU also belongs to DNN1, Para [0099]); and sending, by the EES, information about the first EAS to the terminal device (EES selects an EAS and sends back it to the WTRU, Para [0099], EES sends back connectivity information for the EAS to the WTRU, Para [0096]).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, De Foy discloses the device selection method/apparatus according to claim 1/9, wherein the information for requesting to determine the first EAS for the terminal device is carried in an EAS discovery request, an EAS discovery subscription request, an EAS discovery subscription update request, or a service discovery request (EAS discovery request, Para [0096]).
Regarding claim 8, De Foy discloses the device selection method according to claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the terminal device, the information for requesting to determine the first EAS for the terminal device to the EES; and receiving, by the terminal device, the information about the first EAS (WTRU sends an EAS discovery request to the EES, Para [0099], EES selects an EAS and sends back it to the WTRU, Para [0099], EES sends back connectivity information for the EAS to the WTRU, Para [0096]).
Regarding claim 9, De Foy discloses an apparatus (EES, Para [0096]), comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory (processor and memory, inherent) storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to: receive, from a terminal device, information for requesting to determine a first edge application server (EAS) for the terminal device (WTRU sends an EAS discovery request to the EES, Para [0099]); after receiving the information for requesting to determine the EAS for the terminal device, determine the first EAS based on at least one of information of a first network operator serving the terminal device or information of a first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device (EES may select an EAS in the same data network, Para [0096], selecting an in-UPDN EAS, the EES and EAS are in the same data network (DNN1) and WTRU also belongs to DNN1, Para [0099]); and send information about the first EAS to the terminal device (EES selects an EAS and sends back it to the WTRU, Para [0099], EES sends back connectivity information for the EAS to the WTRU, Para [0096]).
Regarding claim 15, De Foy discloses a system (Fig. 3a), comprising: an edge enabler server (EES); and a terminal device, wherein the EES is configured to: receive, from a terminal device, information for requesting to determine a first edge application server (EAS) for the terminal device (WTRU sends an EAS discovery request to the EES, Para [0099]); after receiving the information for requesting to determine the EAS for the terminal device, determine the first EAS based on at least one of information of a first network operator serving the terminal device or information of a first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device (EES may select an EAS in the same data network, Para [0096], selecting an in-UPDN EAS, the EES and EAS are in the same data network (DNN1) and WTRU also belongs to DNN1, Para [0099]); and send information about the first EAS to the terminal device (EES selects an EAS and sends back it to the WTRU, Para [0099], EES sends back connectivity information for the EAS to the WTRU, Para [0096]); and the terminal device is configured to: send the information for requesting to determine the EAS for the terminal device to the EES and receive the information about the first EAS from the EES. (WTRU sends an EAS discovery request to the EES, Para [0099], EES sends back connectivity information for the EAS to the WTRU, Para [0096]).
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 2-4, 7, 10-12 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Foy and “TS group services and system aspects; architecture for enabling edge applications” (3GPP TS 23.558 V17.0.0, hereinafter 3GPP, as disclosed in the IDS).
Regarding claims 2, 10 and 16, De Foy discloses the device selection method/apparatus/system according to claim 1/9/15, but not wherein the determining, by the EES, the first EAS based on the at least one of the information of the first network operator serving the terminal device or the information of the first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device comprises at least one of: determining, by the EES, the first EAS based on information of a second network operator corresponding to an EAS registered with the EES and the information of the first network operator serving the terminal device; or determining, by the EES, the first EAS based on information of a second edge computing service provider corresponding to an EAS registered with the information of the first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device, wherein the first EAS is registered with the EES. 3GPP discloses the discovery and selecting of EASs is based on the EAS matching discovery filters, Section 8.5.1, the EAS discovery request includes discovery filters containing the topological service area, the EES will not include an EAS outside the location area of the UE, Section 8.5.2.2 and the topological service area is a TAI or PLMN ID, Section 7.3.3.2. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by 3GPP in the system of De Foy in order to establish architecture requirements for enabling edge applications and deployment of edge applications.
Regarding claims 3, 11 and 17, De Foy discloses the device selection method/apparatus/system according to claim 2/10/16, but not further comprising: receiving, by the EES and from the first EAS, the information of the second network operator corresponding to the first EAS or the information of the second edge computing service provider corresponding to the first EAS. 3GPP discloses the EAS profile includes topological service area (i.e. PLMN ID), Section 8.2.4 and the EAS can send registration request including the EAS profile to the EES, Section 8.4.3.2.2.
Regarding claims 4, 12 and 19, De Foy discloses the device selection method/apparatus according to claim 3/11/17, but not wherein the information of the second network operator corresponding to the first EAS or the information of the second edge computing service provider corresponding to the first EAS is carried in an EAS profile of an EAS registration request. 3GPP discloses the EAS profile includes topological service area (i.e. PLMN ID), Section 8.2.4 and the EAS can send registration request including the EAS profile to the EES, Section 8.4.3.2.2.
Regarding claims 7 and 18, De Foy discloses the device selection method/system according to claim 3/17, but not further comprising: sending, by the first EAS, the information of the second network operator corresponding to the first EAS or the information of the second edge computing service provider corresponding to the first EAS to the EES. 3GPP discloses the EAS profile includes topological service area (i.e. PLMN ID), Section 8.2.4 and the EAS can send registration request including the EAS profile to the EES, Section 8.4.3.2.2.
Claims 5, 13 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Foy and in view of Kim et al (US 2025/0008309, hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claims 5, 13 and 20, De Foy discloses the device selection method/apparatus/system according to claim 1/9/15, but not explicitly wherein the information for requesting to determine the first EAS for the terminal device comprises at least one of the information of the first network operator serving the terminal device or the information of the first edge computing service provider serving the terminal device. Kim discloses the EAS discovery message can include the serving PLMN ID, Para [0128]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Kim in the system of De Foy in order to configure UE with relevant information necessary to directly access network exposure service.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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