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
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 –
Claim(s) 1-4, 6-7, 9-12, 14-18, 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by IANEV et al. (US Pub No. 2022/0264427).
Claim 1, IANEV discloses a user equipment (UE) (See Fig. 19, mobile device 3) comprising: least one memory; and at least one processor (Fig. 19, controller 37, memory 39)coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: receive a first message indicating a service rejection for a service associated with a network slice (par [0047, 0110,0070-0071, 0136] disclosed in specifically the procedure how to configure of UE to: receive a first message indicating a service rejection for a service associated with a network slice by of UEs per Network Slice in roaming performed by Network Slice Quota (NSQ) wherein the S-nssa1_1 in the rejected message); generate, based at least in part on the received first message, a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection (par [0136, 0161-0162, 0170, 0188, 0190] by network slice the UE 3 asks to register for, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter as performed a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier); and output the generated second message (par [0190, 0194, 0225] output the generated second message for example: number of UEs per network slice quota status (NSQ quota status) associated with the messages could be triggered periodically or triggered by an event or threshold based on the notification subscription by the AF 16).
Claim 2, IANEV further discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor (Fig. 19, controller 37) is further configured to cause the UE to: transmit, to a visited network, a service request for the service associated with the network slice, wherein to receive the first message, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: receive the first message from the visited network based at least in part on the transmitted service request to the visited network (par [0047, 0136] the vAMF 12 checks for the network slice quota availability, the vAMF 12 sends the Nnsq/nssf_NetworkSliceQuota_Availability Request (UE_Id, S-NSSAI_1, type of NSQ service=“number of UE(s) per network slice” quota) message to the visited Network Slice Quota).
Claim 3, 11, IANEV further discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the first message further comprises one or more of a rejection cause associated with the service rejection, identification information for the rejected service, identification information for the network slice, a freshness parameter, description information associated with the service rejection, or a timestamp associated with the service rejection (par [0162, 0170, 0188, 0190] by the network slice the UE 3 asks to register for, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter as performed a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier).
Claim 4, IANEV further discloses the UE of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to generate one or both of a service rejection report for the service associated with the network slice or a digital signature associated with the service rejection report rejection (par [0170, 0188, 0190] the UE asks to register for and by network slice, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter with indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier).
Claim 7, IANEV further discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is and the transceiver are configured to cause the UE to generate the reference identifier using a function and one or more of a freshness parameter, a UE identifier, a network function identifier, a serving network identifier, or a timestamp associated with the service rejection (par [0162, 0170, 0188, 0190] with the network slice, the UE asks to register for and, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter as performed a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier).
Claim 9, 12, 20, IANEV further discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit the second message to one or more of a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) of the UE, a 3rd party service provider, a slice monitoring service, or a validator service (See Fig. 2, illustrates schematically an exemplary procedure for Network Slice Quota management during roaming by the home PLMN (HPLMN) of the UE, with a 3nd party provider in par [0106-0107, 0131-0132]).
Claim 10, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
Claim 14, IANEV further discloses the apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to receive a request for a report on the rejected service request, and to generate and output the second message in response to the request (par [0190, 0194, 0225] output the generated second message for example: number of UEs per network slice quota status (NSQ quota status) associated with the messages could be triggered periodically or triggered by an event or threshold based on the notification subscription by the AF 16).
Claim 15, IANEV discloses an apparatus comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the apparatus to (See Fig. 19, 20, 21, apparatus comprising with processor coupled with the at least one memory): receive a first message generated by a user equipment (UE), the first message comprising a first indication of a service rejection of a request by the UE for a service associated with a network slice and a first reference identifier associated with the service rejection (par [0136, 0161-0162, 0170, 0188, 0190] by network slice the UE 3 asks to register for, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter as performed a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier); receive a second message generated by a network node, the second message comprising a second indication of a service rejection of a request by the UE for a service associated with a network slice and a second reference identifier associated with the service rejection (par [0136, 0161-0162, 0170, 0188, 0190] the second message comprising a second indication of a service rejection of a request by the UE for a service associated with a network slice and a second reference identifier which performed the function based on by network slice the UE 3 asks to register for, the vAMF 12 rejects the registration and returns the S-NSSAI_1 in the rejected NSSAI list parameter as performed a second message indicating the service rejection and a reference identifier associated with the service rejection by the AF 16 includes as a parameter the UE_ Id, and the Node_ Id which indicates a node identifier); perform, based at least in part on the received first message and the received second message, a validation action to validate the first message and the second message, and output a validation report based on the validation action. (See par [0162, 0170, 0188, 0190, 0194, 0225] output the generated second message for example: number of UEs per network slice quota status (NSQ quota status) associated with the messages could be triggered periodically or triggered by an event or threshold based on the notification subscription by the AF 16).
Claim 16, IANEV further discloses he apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to: generate, based on the first message, a request for a report on the service rejection; transmit the request to the network node; and receive, from the network node, the second message as a reply to the request (par [0044-0047] for sending a first request, to a network function node for network slice quota configured to manage network slice quota on a number of user equipment, UE, per network slice, directly or via a network function node in the core network, for checking availability of a network slice).
Claim 17, IANEV further discloses the apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform one or both of to: receive the first message from a slice monitoring service that is remote from the UE; or receive the second message from a slice monitoring service that is remote from the network node (par [0070, 0214-0215] network function (NSQ—Network Slice Quota) function/entity for a function or entity which monitors, controls and enforces the maximum numbers of UEs per Network Slice quota).
Claim 18, IANEV further discloses the apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to combine the first message and the second message to be recorded into a smart contract as part of the validation action (par [0234, 0243] the software modules may be provided in compiled or un-compiled form and may be supplied to the UE, the (R)AN node, and the core network node as a signal over a computer network, or on a recording medium).
Claim 21, the claim is rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 8, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IANEV et al. (US Pub No. 2022/0264427) in view of So (US Pub No. 2020/0015158).
Claim 8, 13, IANEV discloses all the limitations of claim 1 above, So discloses wherein, to output the second message, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to output the second message using one or more of an application or an application programming interface (API) at the UE (par [0175, 0180-0181] the UE to output the second message using one or more of an application or an application programming interface (API) at the UE wherein as depicted in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the network slice selection function may be implemented as a separate network function (e.g., using a separate hardware platform or platforms) that interacts with other network functions using a standardized application programmers interface (API)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide of So to the system of IANEV in order to support the network slicing serving function.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IANEV et al. (US Pub No. 2022/0264427) in view of GOEL et al. (US Pub No. 2021/0250835).
Claim 19, IANEV discloses all the limitations of claim 15, GOEL discloses wherein the at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus to combine the first message and the second message into one or more of a blockchain or a permissioned distributed ledger (par [0026] a 5G slice can span all domains of the network: software modules running on cloud nodes, specific configurations of the transport network supporting the flexible location of functions, a dedicated radio configuration, or even a specific RAT, as well as the configuration of the 5G device. Third-party entities can be given permission to control certain aspects of slicing via a suitable API, in order to provide tailored services). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide of GOEL to the system of IANEV in order to reducing slice access failures.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is 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.
Claim 5, the prior art of record either alone or in combination fail to disclose the UE of claim 4, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: generate the service rejection report using a function and one or more of sender information, a UE identifier, a network function identifier, a visited network identifier, subscribed slice identification information, subscribed service identification information, rejection cause information, or a timestamp; and generate the digital signature associated with the service rejection report using a security key.
Conclusion
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/PHUOC H DOAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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