DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 07/30/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 07/30/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. The following title is suggested: “Apparatus and Method for Terminal Identification and Operation in an Access Network Device”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claims 1, 6-8, 11-12, 14, 16 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farrell et al. (US 20170013398 A1), hereinafter “Farrell”; and in further view of Ayoub et al. (US 20200107264 A1), hereinafter “Ayoub”.
Regarding claim 1, Farrell teaches method applied to an access network device, wherein the method comprises [Farrell: Abstract teaches method and apparatus for scanning, by an asset tag manager during a scanning window, for wireless broadcasts from beacon devices]:
obtaining, based on first information from a first network element, first identification information of a first terminal in one or more target terminals [Farrell, [0060-61] asset tag device 105A may communicate the
information to the hub 106 using a response broadcast hub 106 may receive, filter, analyze, modify, and/or transmit data to and from multiple devices using wireless and/or wired communication and/or a combination];
sending the first identification information to the first network element [Farrell, [0022, 0063] The beacon device 102 may be programmed to transmit a beacon signal containing data to identify the beacon device to other devices, such as to the asset tag device 105A or to the asset tag manager 105B running on a host machine of the asset 104;
sending a first execution result to the first network element [Farrell, Fig. 3 [0022, 0063] The beacon device 102 may be programmed to transmit a beacon signal containing data to identify the beacon device to other devices, such as to the asset tag device 105A or to the asset tag manager 105B running on a host machine of the asset 104; hub 106 may receive data from multiple source devices, filter and modify the data, and send the modified data through a cellular network and/or wired network (e.g., local area network (LAN)]
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However, Farrell does not teaches receiving an instruction of a first operation from the first network element; performing the first operation on the first terminal according to the instruction; and
wherein the first execution result is of the first operation performed by the first terminal.
Nevertheless, Ayoub, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches receiving an instruction of a first operation from the first network element; performing the first operation on the first terminal according to the instruction [Ayoub: [0041, 0026] the remote server sends the tag an instruction message via the cellular network in operation 310], instructing the tag to use the available short-range communication network]; and
wherein the first execution result is of the first operation performed by the first terminal [Ayoub: Fig. 4; [0041, 0026] instructing the tag to use the available short-range communication network; the message]
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Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was made to utilize the teachings of Ayoub to send instruction to terminal. One in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Ayoub with a motivation to make this modification in order to provide an inventory tracking tag (Ayoub, [0014]).
Regarding claim 6, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches comprising obtaining, from the first network element, an operation parameter corresponding to the first operation [Farrell: Par. 47 teaches The data packet may include a fixed parameter, such as a beacon identifier, which may be used to determine a relative location ].
Regarding claim 7, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches wherein the first operation comprises at least one of: a read operation, a write operation, a delete operation, an encryption operation, an access operation, a block write operation, a block erase operation, or a kill operation [Farrell: Par. 67].
Regarding claim 8, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches sending the instruction to the first terminal; and receiving the first execution result from the first terminal [Farrell: Par. 49 and 89].
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches wherein performing the first operation on the one or more target terminals comprises receiving fourth information from an application function network element, wherein the fourth information is for requesting to perform the first operation on the one or more target terminals Ayoub: [0041, 0026] the remote server sends the tag an instruction message via the cellular network in operation 310], instructing the tag to use the available short-range communication network].
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 8.
Regarding claim 16, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches
sending, when at least one of the fourth information carries a start time and a current time is not earlier than the start time or the fourth information carries an end time and the current time is not later than the end time, the first information to the access network device [Farrell: Par. 49 teaches transmit (e.g., advertise) an advertisement broadcast including an advertisement data packet at certain times (e.g., once, over intervals or periods, or continuously) without receiving a request from another device].
Regarding claim 18, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches wherein the first network element is one of: a terminal management function network element, mobility management network element, a network exposure network element, or a terminal management function network element control plane network element [Farrell: Fig. 1A].
Regarding claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 1.
Regarding claim 20, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 7.
Claims 2-5, 9, 10, 13, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farrell et al. (US 20170013398 A1), hereinafter “Farrell”; in further view of Ayoub et al. (US 20200107264 A1), hereinafter “Ayoub”; and in further view of Xia et al. (US 20190037378 A1), hereinafter ”Xie”.
Regarding claim 2, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 1. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches wherein the first information indicates:
that an operation of a second terminal in the one or more target terminals is completed [Farrell, [0089] the data packet to locate another beacon identifier (e.g., second) associated with another beacon device (e.g., second beacon device];
to obtain second identification information of another terminal in the one or more target terminals [Farrell: Par. 89 teaches wireless broadcast may be identified in view of an indication that another beacon device (e.g., second beacon device) is within a specified distance to the asset tag];
However, Farrell in view of Ayoub does not teaches to obtain third identification information of the one or more target terminals.
Nevertheless, Xia, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches to obtain third identification information of the one or more target terminals [(Xia: Fig. 6; Par. 190- 195 teaches of sending registration response message/ third message].
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Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was made to utilize the teachings of Xia in the Farrell in view of Ayoub to send further messages/ information. One in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Xia in the Farrell/ Ayoub system in order to provide information for IOT connection (Xia: Par. 124).
Regarding claim 3, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 2. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches wherein after sending the first execution result to the first network element and when the operation of obtaining the third identification information is completed, the method further comprises sending second information to the first network element, wherein the second information instructs to complete an operation on the one or more target terminals [Xia: Fig. 6; Par. 124- 195].
Regarding claim 4, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 3. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches wherein the first information carries a time interval [Farrell: Par. 73 teaches the asset tag identifier also record a time stamp indicating when the beacon identifiers were received by asset tag device 105A], and wherein after sending the second information to the first network element, the method further comprises obtaining, after the time interval elapses, the third identification information again [Xia: Fig. 6; Par. 124- 195].
Regarding claim 5, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 2. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches wherein the first information further comprises a first address [Farrell: Par. 50 disclosed having destination address/ first address], wherein sending the first identification information to the first network element is based on the first address, and wherein sending the first execution result to the first network element is based on the first address [Farrell: Par. 61 teaches of configured to route data from devices within a range of IP addresses to one location and/or through a particular channel (or interface) and route data from devices within another range of IP addressed to another location and/or through another channel]
Regarding claim 9, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 2. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches sending third information to the one or more target terminals, wherein the third information is for obtaining the third identification information [Xia: Fig. 6; Par. 124- 195]; and receiving the first identification information Farrell: Par. 61.
Regarding claim 10, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 9. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches sending, when at least one of the first information carries a start time and a current time is not earlier than the start time or the first information carries an end time and the current time is not later than the end time, the third information to the one or more target terminals [Farrell: Par. 49 teaches transmit (e.g., advertise) an advertisement broadcast including an advertisement data packet at certain times (e.g., once, over intervals or periods, or continuously) without receiving a request from another device].
Regarding claim 13, the combined Farrell in view of Ayoub teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 11. Farrell in view of Ayoub further teaches wherein to obtain second identification information of another terminal in the one or more target terminals [Farrell: Par. 89 teaches wireless broadcast may be identified in view of an indication that another beacon device (e.g., second beacon device) is within a specified distance to the asset tag];
that an operation of the first terminal is completed [Farrell, [0089] the data packet to locate another beacon identifier (e.g., second) associated with another beacon device (e.g., second beacon device];
receiving fourth identification information of a second terminal from the access network device Ayoub: [0041, 0026] the remote server sends the tag an instruction message via the cellular network in operation 310], instructing the tag to use the available short-range communication network].
However, Farrell in view of Ayoub does not teaches sending third information to the access network device, wherein the third information indicates.
Nevertheless, Xia, in the similar filed of endeavor, teaches sending third information to the access network device, wherein the third information indicates [(Xia: Fig. 6; Par. 190- 195 teaches of sending registration response message/ third message].
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Thus it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill at the time the invention was made to utilize the teachings of Xia in the Farrell in view of Ayoub to send further messages/ information. One in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Xia in the Farrell/ Ayoub system in order to provide information for IOT connection (Xia: Par. 124).
Regarding claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth for claim 13.
Regarding claim 17, the combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia teaches all the limitations in the parent claim 13. The combined Farrell/ Ayoub in view of Xia further teaches wherein the first operation comprises at least one of: a read operation, a write operation, a delete operation, an encryption operation, an access operation, a block write operation, a block erase operation, or a kill operation [Farrell: Par. 67].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYAW Z SOE whose telephone number is (571)270-0304. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached on 5712707191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYAW Z SOE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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