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
This action is responsive to the application filed on 08/16/2024 has a total of 20 claims pending in the application; there are 3 independent claims and 17 dependent claims, all of which are ready for examination by the examiner.
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 for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 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 nonobviousness.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiao et al. Publication No. (US 2022/0264370 A1) in view of ZAUS et al. Publication No. (US 2022/0167244 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Qiao teaches a method for wireless communication, applicable to a terminal device (wireless device FIG.21), the method comprising:
transmitting first information to a first core network element (wireless device may send to a policy control function (PCF) via an access and mobility management function (AMF), a registration request message comprising UE session capability information [0249-250 FIG,21), wherein the first information indicates whether the terminal device supports configuring a policy rule in a second communication system (wherein the UE session capability information may comprise: a UE multiple access packet data unit (MA-PDU) capability indication; or a UE access traffic steering switch and splitting (ATSSS) capability indication, the UE session capability information may comprise a 5GSM core network capability information [0249-250] FIG.21), the first core network element is a core network element in a first communication system, (the PCF is a visited PCF (VPCF), based on the UE session capability information and network resource, the VPCF may determine a visited QoS capability for a PDU session for the UE, the VPCF may send to a home PCF (HPCF), at least one of: the UE session capability information; or the visited QoS capability, based on the UE session capability information or the visited QoS capability, the HPCF may determine at least one of: a home URSP rule; a home ATSSS rule; or accepted QoS information for a PDU session for the UE [0250-252] FIG.21).
Qiao does not explicitly teach and the first communication system is different from the second communication system.
ZAUS teaches the first communication system is different from the second communication system (ZAUS: the UE sends a registration request message that includes 5G mobility management (5GMM) capabilities of the UE that are indicative of whether the UE supports voice over internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS), wherein the 5GMM capabilities include a first indication of whether the UE supports voice over new radio (VoNR) [first communication system], the 5GMM capabilities further include: a second indication of whether the UE supports voice over long-term evolution-fifth generation core (VoLTE-5GC), a third indication of whether the UE supports inter-radio access technology (RAT) fallback to VoLTE-5GC via handover; and a fourth indication of whether the UE supports evolved packet system (EPS) fallback via handover, and voice over evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) connected to an evolved packet core (EPC), via second communication system, [0075-85] FIG.2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to have modified Qiao by the teaching of ZAUS to have the first communication system is different from the second communication system in order to enable interworking between different communication systems via CN 620 and CN 520 (ZAUS: [0185-187 FIG.6).
Regarding claim 2, Qiao teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first core network element is a policy control function (a policy control function (PCF) may receive UE session capability information from a wireless device via an access and mobility management function (AMF) [0251] FIG.19).
Regarding claim 3, Qiao teaches method the according to claim 1, wherein in a case that the first information indicates that the terminal device supports configuring the policy rule in the second communication system, the method further comprises: receiving a policy rule used in the first communication system from the first core network element (the UE session capability information may comprise at least one of: a multiple access packet data unit (MA-PDU) capability indication; or an ATSSS capability indication. Based on the UE session capability information, the PCF may determine, a UE route selection policy (URSP) rule for a PDU session of the wireless device. The PCF may send the URSP rule to the wireless device [0251-252] FIG.20); receiving a policy rule used in the second communication system from the first core network element; and/or receiving a policy rule used in the second communication system from a second core network element, wherein the second core network element is a core network element in the second communication system (during a UE registration procedure, a policy control function (PCF) may receive UE multiple access capability information from a wireless device via an access and mobility management function (AMF), wherein the UE multiple access capability information may comprise: a multiple access packet data unit (MA-PDU) capability indication; and an access traffic steering switch and splitting (ATSSS) capability indication. Based on the UE multiple access capability information, the PCF may determine: a UE route selection policy (URSP) rule for multiple access of the wireless device; and an ATSSS rule for multiple access of the wireless device [0251-252] FIG.20).
Regarding claim 4, Qiao teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first information is carried in a registration request message or an attach request message (a wireless device may send to a policy control function (PCF) via an access and mobility management function (AMF), a registration request message comprising UE session capability information [0249] FIG.19).
Regarding claim 5, Qiao teaches the method according to claim 4, wherein the registration request message or the attach request message contains a first container, wherein the first container contains the first information (The registration request message may comprise at least one of: UE session capability information, registration type, UE identity(e.g. SUCI/5G-GUTI/PEI), selected PLMN ID, last visited TAI (if available), security parameters, requested NSSAI, UE Radio Capability Update, UE MM Core Network Capability, PDU Session status, or List Of PDU Sessions To Be Activated) [0190] FIG.16).
Regarding claim 6, Qiao teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication system is an evolved packet system (EPS), and the second communication system is a 5th generation mobile communication system (5GS); or the first communication system is a 5th generation mobile communication system (5GS), and the second communication system is an evolved packet system (EPS) (FIG. 2 depict a 5G system comprising of access networks and 5G core network. An example 5G access network may comprise an access network connecting to a 5G core network. An access network may comprise an NG-RAN 105 and/or non-3GPP AN 165 including Evolved Packet Core (EPS) [0025-26] FIG.2).
Regarding claim 7, Qiao teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the policy rule comprises at least one of: a user equipment route selection policy (URSP) rule, a vehicle-to-everything policy (V2XP) rule, a proximity service policy (ProSeP) rule, an access network discovery and selection policy (ANDSP) rule, or an access traffic steering, switching and splitting (ATSSS) policy rule (5GC may be able to provide policy information from a PCF to a UE, and such policy information may comprise Access Network Discovery & Selection Policy (ANDSP) and/or UE Route Selection Policy (URSP), the ANDSP is used by the UE for selecting non-3GPP accesses and for selection of the N3IWF in a PLMN. In an example, the URSP is used by the UE to determine if a detected application may be associated to an established PDU Session, may be offloaded to non-3GPP access outside a PDU Session, or may trigger the establishment of a new PDU Session [0138-139] FIG.19).
Regarding claims 8-13, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-7, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from a “device” side with a processor and a memory (Qiao: [FIG.3) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Regarding claims 14-20, the independent claim and each dependent claim are related to the same limitation set for hereinabove in claims 1-7, where the difference used is the limitations were presented from a “device” side with a processor and a memory (Qiao: [FIG.3) and the wordings of the claims were interchanged within the claim itself or some of the claims were presented as a combination of two or more previously presented limitations. This change does not affect the limitation of the above treated claims. Adding these phrases to the claims and interchanging the wording did not introduce new limitations to these claims. Therefore these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Conclusion
When responding to this office action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111 (c).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDELNABI O MUSA whose telephone number is (571)270-1901, and email address is abdelnabi.musa@uspto.gov ‘preferred’. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00 am - 5:00 pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kevin Bates, can be reached on 571-2723980. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDELNABI O MUSA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472
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