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 –
(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) 1-5,8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by DE ANDRADE JARDIM to (WO 2023180960 A1)
Regarding claims 1,8, DE ANDRADE JARDIM teaches a method performed by a time sensitive communication and time synchronization function (TSCTSF) device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising([0059] , The TSCTSF interacts with the UDM to get time synchronization and optionally time resiliency subscription data) acquiring subscription data related to a time synchronization service for a terminal from a unified data management (UDM) device in order to provide a time synchronization service; ([0059] , The TSCTSF interacts with the UDM to get time synchronization and optionally time resiliency subscription data…[0060] … The TSCTSF receives the subscription data for time synchronization- if the subscription data indicates subscription to time synchronization service is enabled , then the TSCTSF will proceed to activate the service) and identifying at least one of information on whether a 5G access stratum (AS)-based time synchronization service is supported, information on whether a (g) precision time protocol (PTP)-based time synchronization service is supported,( [0055] .. the time synchronization activation procedure is used by the AF to activate, modify or deactivate the (g) Precision Time Protocol, gPTP, instances in 5GS (see clause 4.15.9.3). A procedure is also available to activate access stratum time distribution method, where time distribution from RAN to UE is influenced by AF, and UE/DS-TT may distribute the timing information externally via implementation specific means and not necessarily PTP (see clause 4.15.9.4 in 3GPP TS 23.502)) time synchronization error budget information, allowed area information for the terminal, or allowed time information for the terminal, based on the subscription data related to the time synchronization service([0077] ..Receiving the subscription data indicating whether time synchronization service is authorized, or whether Time synchronization with Time resiliency service is authorized,.. Activating the time synchronization service or the time synchronization service with time resiliency service in accordance with the subscription data).
Regarding claims 2,9 DE ANDRADE JARDIM teaches The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a 5G AS-based time synchronization service for the terminal based on the at least one identified information([0057]… The request could contain a Subscription Correlation ID and user-plane node ID as a reference to the target of the UEs and AF- sessions).
Regarding claims 3,10 DE ANDRADE JARDIM teaches The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a (g) PTP-based time synchronization service for the terminal based on the at least one identified information([0057]… The request could contain a Subscription Correlation ID and user-plane node ID as a reference to the target of the UEs and AF- sessions).
Regarding claims 4,11 DE ANDRADE JARDIM teaches The method of claim 1, wherein in the case that a request is received from a policy control function (PCF) device in relation to protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment for the terminal,([0045] If a UE 112 has multiple sessions, different SMFs 208 may be allocated to each session to manage them individually and possibly provide different functionalities per session. The AF 212 provides information on the packet flow to the PCF 210 responsible for policy control in order to support QoS. The AF 212 can also interact via the NEF using an exposure API to request exposed services, and it may interact directly with a TSCTSF 400 or indirectly via the NEF, if AF is 3rd party, to provide individual traffic pattern param) subscription data related to the time synchronization service is acquired from the UDM device([0059] , The TSCTSF interacts with the UDM to get time synchronization and optionally time resiliency subscription data)
Regarding claims 5,13 DE ANDRADE JARDIM teaches A method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) device in a wireless communication system, the method comprising ([0045] The AMF 200 provides UE-based authentication, authorization, mobility management,) acquiring subscription data related to a time synchronization service for a terminal from a unified data management (UDM) device in order to provide a time synchronization service; ([0059] , The TSCTSF interacts with the UDM to get time synchronization and optionally time resiliency subscription data…[0060] … The TSCTSF receives the subscription data for time synchronization- if the subscription data indicates subscription to time synchronization service is enabled , then the TSCTSF will proceed to activate the service) and identifying at least one of information on whether a 5G access stratum (AS)-based time synchronization service is supported, information on whether a (g) precision time protocol (PTP)-based time synchronization service is supported, ( [0055] .. the time synchronization activation procedure is used by the AF to activate, modify or deactivate the (g) Precision Time Protocol, gPTP, instances in 5GS (see clause 4.15.9.3). A procedure is also available to activate access stratum time distribution method, where time distribution from RAN to UE is influenced by AF, and UE/DS-TT may distribute the timing information externally via implementation specific means and not necessarily PTP (see clause 4.15.9.4 in 3GPP TS 23.502)) time synchronization error budget information, allowed area information for the terminal, or allowed time information for the terminal, based on the subscription data related to the time synchronization service([0077] ..Receiving the subscription data indicating whether time synchronization service is authorized, or whether Time synchronization with Time resiliency service is authorized,.. Activating the time synchronization service or the time synchronization service with time resiliency service in accordance with the subscription data).
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.
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(s) 6-7,12,14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE ANDRADE JARDIM in view of "KI#3 Solution proposal Controlling 5G time synchronization service based on subscription - Solution proposal" from IDS
Regarding claims 6,14 DE ANDRADE JARDIM does not explicitly teach determining to configure a 5G AS-based time synchronization service for the terminal based on the at least one identified information; and transmitting a message for configuring the 5G AS-based time synchronization service to the base station
However, "KI#3 Solution proposal Controlling 5G time synchronization service based on subscription - Solution proposal" teaches determining to configure a 5G AS-based time synchronization service for the terminal based on the at least one identified information; and transmitting a message for configuring the 5G AS-based time synchronization service to the base station(6.x.3.1-1: Subscription based control of access stratum time synchronization service, The UE performs the registration procedure with the 5GS. While the procedure is configured, if the AMF retrieves the subscription data for the UE from the UDM and Time Synchronization Subscription Data is available at the UDM, the UDM provides it to the AMF. When the AMF is setting up or modifying the UE Context in the NG-RAN, the AMF may provide access stratum attributes within the Time Synchronization Subscription Data to the NG-RAN via N2 message. In this case, steps 2-6 can bc skipped. When the AMF performs an AM policy Association Establishment/Modification with the PCF, the AMF may notify the Time Synchronization Subscription Data to the PCF)
Therefore; it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to enable the system of DE ANDRADE JARDIM include determining to configure a 5G AS-based time synchronization service for the terminal based on the at least one identified information; and transmitting a message for configuring the 5G AS-based time synchronization service to the base station, as suggested by "KI#3 Solution proposal Controlling 5G time synchronization service based on subscription - Solution proposal." This modification would benefit the system to reduce communication error.
Regarding claims 7, 12,15,DE ANDRADE JARDIM and "KI#3 Solution proposal Controlling 5G time synchronization service based on subscription - Solution proposal" teaches wherein the subscription data related to the time synchronization service further comprises (g) PTP domain information("KI#3 Solution proposal Controlling 5G time synchronization service based on subscription - Solution proposal", 6.x.2..Subscribed (g)PTP domain: Indicates the PTP network's domain the UE is authorized to connect. A PTP network domain is identified by two attributes: domainNumber).
Conclusion
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/ZEWDU A BEYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461
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