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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/30/2024, 03/17/2026, 04/13/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 52-55, 58 is/are allowed.
Claim(s) 41 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art teaches NWDAF service registration and discovery and separately teaches MLM drift monitoring and notifications. However, the prior art of record does not teach, suggest, depict or describe the claimed coordinated repository architecture. IN which an AnLF registers that is it monitoring or capable of monitoring drift of an MLM provisioned by an MTFL. The MTFL subsequently queries for the AnLFs having registered that model specific monitoring capability. Lastly, the repository returns information identifying the registered AnLF based on that registration.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 39-40, 45-47, 51, 56-57 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (2) as being anticipated by Karampatsis et al. (US 2023/0345297 A1).
Re Claim 39, 46, 56 & 57, Karampatsis teaches a method for a model training logical function (MTLF) of a network data analytics function (NWDAF) of a communication network, the method comprising:
receiving a message indicating that a first analytics logical function (AnLF) of the NWDAF is, or is capable of, monitoring drift of a machine learning (ML) model; and (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; The embodiment(s) detail a split NWDAF with logical network functions. In addition, model training, model use, notification, analysis and subscriptions associated with a machine learning model. Furthermore, it discloses when a MLM becomes invalid (monitoring drift) and generating notifications related to the model.)
based on the message, sending a subscription request for drift monitoring notifications, by the first AnLF, that are associated with the ML model. (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; Machine learning monitoring, subscriptions notification when model conditions changes.)
Re Claim 40 & 47, Karampatsis discloses the method of claim 39, further comprising sending the ML model to one or more AnLFs including the first AnLF, wherein the received message is one of the following:
a registration request indicating that the first AnLF is monitoring the ML model, received from the first AnLF after sending the ML model;
a further subscription request or an information request for an ML model, which indicates that the first AnLF is capable of monitoring drift of ML models and is received from the first AnLF before sending the ML model; (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; Machine learning monitoring, subscriptions notification when model conditions changes.)
or
a query response from a common registration repository, which indicates that the first AnLF is monitoring drift of the ML model and is received from the common registration repository after sending the ML model.
Re Claim 45, Karampatsis discloses the method of claim 39, further comprising receiving one or more drift monitoring notifications from the first AnLF in accordance with the subscription request. (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; The ML model details invalid, out of date or validity related changes associated with a subscription.)
Re Claim 51, Karampatsis discloses the method of claim 46, further comprising:
applying the ML model to raw data acquired by the AnLF to obtain predictions for analytics associated with the communication network; (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; The embodiment(s) detail AGF-NWDAF receiving and suing the trained MLM data to derive stats/predictions for network analytics.)
monitoring for drift associated with the ML model; and (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; The embodiment(s) detail a split NWDAF with logical network functions. In addition, model training, model use, notification, analysis and subscriptions associated with a machine learning model. Furthermore, it discloses when a MLM becomes invalid (monitoring drift) and generating notifications related to the model.)
based on the monitoring, sending one or more drift monitoring notifications to the MTLF in accordance with the subscription request. (Karampatsis; FIG. 1-5; Background, Summary, ¶ [0030]-[0040], [0046]-[0113], [0119]-[0137]; The embodiment(s) detail a split NWDAF with logical network functions. In addition, model training, model use, notification, analysis and subscriptions associated with a machine learning model. Furthermore, it discloses when a MLM becomes invalid (monitoring drift) and generating notifications related to the model.)
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.
Claim(s) 42-44, 48-50 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karampatsis et al. (US 2023/0345297 A1) and further in view of Lee et al. (US 2022/0108214 A1).
Re Claim 42 & 48, Karampatsis discloses the method of claim 40, yet does not explicitly suggest further comprising sending to the AnLF a response indicating acknowledgement of the registration request, the further subscription request, or the information request received from the first AnLF.
However, in analogous art, Lee teaches further comprising sending to the AnLF a response indicating acknowledgement of the registration request, the further subscription request, or the information request received from the first AnLF. (Lee; FIG. 1-18; Background, Summary, ¶ [0067]-[0101]; The embodiment(s) discloses subscriptions, AnLF, service requests, ACKs, identifiers and various information related to the limitation.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify Karampatsis in view of Lee to send data via the AnLF for the reasons of creating a MLM management employing NWDAF and AnLF. (Lee Abstract)
Re Claim 43 & 49, Karampatsis discloses the method of claim 39, yet does not explicitly suggest wherein the message includes one or more of the following information: a unique identifier of the ML model; an identifier of the first AnLF or of a drift detection logical function (DDLF) of the first AnLF that is, or is capable of, performing the drift monitoring; one or more analytics identifiers associated with the drift monitoring; one or more ML model identifiers associated with the drift monitoring; an identifier of an analytics target for which the drift monitoring is being performed; an address for drift monitoring subscription requests; filtering criteria for the drift monitoring; and an ML model subscription identifier.
However, in analogous art, Lee teaches wherein the message includes one or more of the following information:
a unique identifier of the ML model; (Lee; FIG. 1-18; Background, Summary, ¶ [0171]; A model ID.)
an identifier of the first AnLF or of a drift detection logical function (DDLF) of the first AnLF that is, or is capable of, performing the drift monitoring;
one or more analytics identifiers associated with the drift monitoring;
one or more ML model identifiers associated with the drift monitoring;
an identifier of an analytics target for which the drift monitoring is being performed;
an address for drift monitoring subscription requests;
filtering criteria for the drift monitoring; and
an ML model subscription identifier. (Lee; FIG. 1-18; Background, Summary, ¶ [0169]-[0171]; A subscription correlation ID.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify Karampatsis in view of Lee to send data via the AnLF for the reasons of creating a MLM management employing NWDAF and AnLF. (Lee Abstract)
Re Claim 44 & 50, Karampatsis-Lee discloses the method of claim 43, wherein one or more of the following applies:
the subscription request is sent to the address for drift monitoring subscription requests, included in the message;
and
the subscription request includes at least a portion of the information included with the message. (Lee; FIG. 1-18; Background, Summary, ¶ [0169]-[0171]; A subscription correlation ID.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention (AIA ) to modify Karampatsis in view of Lee to send data via the AnLF for the reasons of creating a MLM management employing NWDAF and AnLF. (Lee Abstract)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
MONJAS LLORENTE MIGUEL ANGEL (WO 2023057849 A1)
Elprin et al. (US 2021/0133632 A1)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER B ROBINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-0702. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00-3:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas R Taylor can be reached at 571-272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER B ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443
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