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 .
This action is responsive to communication filed on 4/14/2026.
Claims 1-20 are subject to examination.
An IDS filed on 3/4/2026 has been fully considered and entered by the Examiner.
This amendment and applicant’s arguments have been fully considered and entered by the Examiner.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsuda et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2023/0239818 (hereinafter Tsuda) in view of Baek et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2023/0300667 (hereinafter Baek)
With respect to claim 1, Tsuda teaches a method for selecting a session management function (SMF) based on an augmented reality (AR) service, applied to a first network element, comprising:
-executing an SMF selection (i.e. the AMF executes SMF) (Paragraph 201), wherein executing the SMF selection comprises selecting an SMF based on extended reality media (XRM) service indication information (i.e. the AMF selects the SMF for providing services wherein the specific services are for application of XR) (Paragraph 201, 247-248) or an XRM group identification (ID).
Tsuda does not explicitly teach configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID.
Baek teaches configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM) (Paragraph 59, 77), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID (Paragraph 65, 164-165, 172). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Baek’s teaching in Tsuda’s teaching to come up with having a subscription rule in SMF subscription information wherein the same SMF is selected for plurality of sessions with same XRM group. The motivation for doing so would be to request delay monitoring to the UPF and to provide monitoring frequency.
With respect to claim 2, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first network element comprises at least one of: an access and mobility management function (AMF) (i.e. access management function)(Paragraph 201, 247); or a network repository function (NRF).
With respect to claim 3, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 2, wherein in case that the first network element is the AMF, the method further comprises: selecting a same SMF for a session that supports an XRM service capability (i.e. the AMF selects the SMF for providing services wherein the specific services are for applications of XR) (Paragraph 201, 247-248) OR has a same XRM group ID.
With respect to claim 4, Tsuda and Baek teaches the method of claim 1, but Baek further teaches wherein executing the SMF selection comprises one of: selecting the SMF only based on a local policy (Paragraph 70); determining the SMF in combination with the SMF selection information obtained from the UDM or determining the SMF only from the SMF selection information obtained from the UDM.
With respect to claim 5, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 2, wherein in case that the first network element is the AMF, the method further comprises: in local configuration information of AMF or SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM) (Paragraph 192), taking one or both of the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 200-201) or the XRM group ID as an input of the SMF selection for selecting the SMF.
With respect to claim 6, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 5, further comprising: selecting, by the AMF, a same SMF for a session related to the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 200-201) or the XRM group ID.
With respect to claim 7, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 3, wherein selecting the same SMF for the session that supports the XRM service capability or has the same XRM group ID comprises: selecting the same SMF for a plurality of sessions with one or more of a same data network name (DNN) (Paragraph 200-201), or a same single network slice selection auxiliary information (S-NSSAI), or the same XRM group ID.
With respect to claim 8, Tsuda and Baek teaches the method of claim 1, but Baek further teaches wherein in a case wherein the SMF is selected based on the XRM group ID, the XRM group ID is capable of reusing a group ID in an existing network (Paragraph 70, 76).
With respect to claim 9, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 5, wherein in case that the SMF is not selected for the session related to the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 178) or the XRM group ID, the SMF is selected (Paragraph 200-201)
With respect to claim 10, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 5, wherein in case that the SMF has been selected for the session related to the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 200-201) or the XRM group ID, a same SMF is selected for a current related session (Paragraph 200-201)
With respect to claim 11, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 5, wherein in case that the SMF has been selected for the session related to the XRM service indication information or the XRM group ID, and the selected SMF is not capable of meeting a quality of service (QoS) requirement of an XRM service (Paragraph 229-230), an SMF reselection is performed; and in case that there is a migratable protocol data unit (PDU) session in the selected SMF, the migratable PDU session is migrated to a new SMF (Paragraph 198-201)
With respect to claim 12, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 5, further comprising: in case that the NRF executes an SMF discovery selection, selecting, by the AMF, a same SMF for a session related to the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 200-201) or the XRM group ID through the NRF
With respect to claim 13, Tsuda teaches the method of claim 2, wherein in case that the first network element is the NRF, the method further comprises: registering the SMF to the NRF (Paragraph 130), and obtaining a profile, wherein SMF selection information of the NRF comprises one or both of the XRM service indication information (Paragraph 128) or the XRM group ID; and marking, by the NRF, that the SMF is available (Paragraph 178, 128, 130)
With respect to claim 14, Tsuda teaches an apparatus for selecting a session management function (SMF) based on an augmented reality (AR) service, applied to a first network element, comprising: one or more processors configured to execute an SMF selection (i.e. the AMF executes SMF) (Paragraph 201), wherein executing the SMF selection comprises selecting an SMF based on extended reality media (XRM) service indication information (i.e. the AMF selects the SMF for providing services wherein the specific services are for application of XR) (Paragraph 201, 247-248) or an XRM group identification (ID).
Tsuda does not explicitly teach configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID.
Baek teaches configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM) (Paragraph 59, 77), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID (Paragraph 65, 164-165, 172). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Baek’s teaching in Tsuda’s teaching to come up with having a subscription rule in SMF subscription information wherein the same SMF is selected for plurality of sessions with same XRM group. The motivation for doing so would be to request delay monitoring to the UPF and to provide monitoring frequency.
With respect to claim 15, it teaches same limitations as claim 2, therefore rejected under same basis.
With respect to claim 16, Tsuda teaches a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having an executable program stored thereon, where when executed by a processor, causes the processor the implement a method applied to a first network element for session management function (SMF) selection based on an augmented reality (AR) service, and the method comprising: executing an SMF selection (i.e. the AMF executes SMF) (Paragraph 201), wherein executing the SMF selection comprises selecting an SMF based on extended reality media (XRM) service indication information (i.e. the AMF selects the SMF for providing services wherein the specific services are for application of XR) (Paragraph 201, 247-248) or an XRM group identification (ID).
Tsuda does not explicitly teach configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID.
Baek teaches configuring a subscription rule in SMF subscription information in a unified data management (UDM) (Paragraph 59, 77), wherein the subscription rule is configured to select a same SMF for a plurality of session with one or both of the XRM service indication information or same XRM group ID (Paragraph 65, 164-165, 172). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement Baek’s teaching in Tsuda’s teaching to come up with having a subscription rule in SMF subscription information wherein the same SMF is selected for plurality of sessions with same XRM group. The motivation for doing so would be to request delay monitoring to the UPF and to provide monitoring frequency.
With respect to claims 17, 18, 19, 20 respectively, teaches same limitations as claims 3, 4, 5, 6 respectively, therefore rejected under same basis.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/14/2026 have been fully considered but are deemed moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A). Qiao et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2020/0213897 which teaches about AF initiated always-on PDU session.
B). Huang et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2023/0093435
C). Qiao et al. U.S. Patent Publication # 2020/0213897
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DHAIRYA A PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-5809. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-4:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamal B Divecha can be reached at 571-272-5863. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
DHAIRYA A. PATEL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2453
/DHAIRYA A PATEL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2453
Prosecution Insights