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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 12/18/2024, 01/06/2025 and 08/26/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-16 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Peng et al. (Peng), U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2022/0132358.
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Peng discloses a delivery method implemented by a delivery entity (having an inherent processor and CRM) of a communication network, the method comprising: delivering information relating to a first device of the communication network, said first device hosting a network function implementing at least one functionality in said network in a service area covering an integer number, greater than one, of areas, called elementary areas, each elementary area corresponding to a cell of said network or to a location area defined for said network (please note that throughout the rejection, the elementary areas are the coverage areas depicted in figure 1 and the weights are being read on as the distances/threshold distances and load information used to select candidate network functions based on the candidate list created based on the distances/threshold distance values) (0053, 0054, figure 1), said delivering comprising: acquiring, for at least one elementary area covered by said service area of the first device, a weight assigned to this elementary area, with said weight being inherently a real number greater than or equal to 0 based on the measured distance between the candidate network functions and the requesting network function (0053) and delivering all or some of said weights acquired during the acquisition step to a second device of the network.
Regarding claim 2, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second device is configured to manage devices hosting network functions and all or some of said acquired weights are delivered to the second device when registering or updating a profile of the first device at the second device (0014).
Regarding claim 3, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the delivery entity is implemented by the first device, wherein said first device hosts a network function of collecting and analyzing network data (0030, 0035).
Regarding claim 4, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the acquired weights assigned to the elementary areas covered by said service area are acquired when registering a profile of the first device and all or some of said acquired weights are delivered in response to a discovery request for discovering network devices hosting a network function and meeting at least one given search criterion, with said discovery request originating from the second device and said first device meeting said at least one given search criterion (0044, 0050).
Regarding claim 5, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the weight assigned to one of said elementary areas depends on a distance from this elementary area to a center of the service area and/or its distance relative to a border of said service area (0053, 0054).
Regarding claim 6, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when one of said elementary areas is covered by the service area of the first device and at least one other service area of at least one third device of the network hosting the same network function as said first device (see coverage areas as shown in figure 1): a different weight is assigned (based on distance/distance threshold values and load) (0016) to said elementary area for the service area of the first device and for said at least one other service area of said at least one third device; and/or a sum of the weights assigned to said elementary area for said service area of the first device and for said at least one other service area of said at least one third device is non-zero and less than or equal to 1 (0052-0054).
Regarding claim 7, Peng discloses the delivery method as claimed in claim 1, comprising: updating at least one weight assigned to an elementary area covered by said service area; and delivering said at least one updated weight to the second device (0032, 0036).
Regarding claim 8, Peng discloses a selection method for selection, by a first device of a communication network, comprising: sending to a second device of the network a discovery request for discovering network devices hosting a network function and meeting at least one given search criterion; acquiring a response to said discovery request identifying at least one network device, called candidate device, hosting a network function and meeting said at least one given search criterion, with said response comprising, for each candidate device with a service area covering an area of interest defined by the first device, said service area covering an integer number, greater than one, of areas, called elementary areas, each elementary area corresponding to a cell of said network or to a location area defined for said network, a weight assigned to each elementary area covered by said service area and said area of interest, said weight being a real number greater than or equal to 0; and selecting one of said candidate devices in order to implement at least one functionality of the network function that the selected candidate device hosts by inherently comparing the weights assigned to the elementary areas covered by said area of interest acquired for each candidate device identified in the response since the best network function is selected (0039, 0052-0057, 0060).
Regarding claim 9, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the selecting comprises determining, for each candidate device of the network identified in the response, a metric based on the acquired weights assigned to the elementary areas covered by the service area of this candidate device and by the area of interest, with the selected candidate device being the candidate device that optimizes said metric from among the candidate devices identified in the response (0061).
Regarding claim 10, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the metric determined for one of said candidate devices is an inherently weighted sum of the weights assigned to the elementary areas covered by the service area of this candidate device and by the area of interest (0061).
Regarding claim 11, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in the weighted sum, each weight assigned to an elementary area is weighted by a probability of the presence of a user equipment managed by the first device in this elementary area (can read on the distance/load information and how the network functions are selected) (0052-0054, 0061).
Regarding claim 12, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first device and said selected candidate device host the same network function, and said selected candidate device is used as a relay (mobile network platform) (see 0101; figure 5) of the first device to implement at least one functionality of said network function (0052-0054, 0061).
Regarding claim 13, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 12, further comprising, when the first device detects entry of a user equipment that the first device manages into an elementary area covered by a service area of the first device, and having an assigned weight for the first device that is less than a given threshold or is less than a weight assigned to said elementary area for one of said candidate devices identified in the response to the discovery request, initiating a phase of preparing a use of the selected candidate device as a relay of the first device (0052-0054, 0061).
Regarding claim 14, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network is a cellular network and each elementary area comprises at least one cell of the cellular network (figure 1).
Regarding claim 16, Peng discloses a selection entity of a communication network, comprising: at least one inherent processor; and at least one inherent non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon which when executed by the at least one processor configure the selection entity to: send to a network device a discovery request for discovering network devices hosting a network function and meeting at least one given search criterion; acquire a response to said discovery request identifying at least one network device, called candidate device, hosting a network function and meeting said at least one given search criterion, with said response comprising, for each candidate device with a service area covering an area of interest defined by the selection entity, said service area covering an integer number, greater than one, of areas, called elementary areas, each elementary area corresponding to a cell of said network or to a location area defined for said network, a weight assigned to each elementary area covered by said service area and said area of interest, said weight being a real number greater than or equal to 0; and select one of said candidate devices in order to implement at least one functionality of the network function that the selected candidate device hosts, by inherently comparing the weights assigned to the elementary areas covered by said area of interest that are acquired for each candidate device identified in the response since the best network function is selected (0052-0054, 0061).
Regarding claim 19, Peng discloses the selection method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said network is a cellular network and each elementary area comprises at least one cell of the cellular network (figure 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
George et al. U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2023/0102703 discloses assign management related entities to geographical location areas.
Wirola et al. U.S. Patent Pub. 2014/0243012 discloses supportive coverage area modeling.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMICA M. BEAMER whose telephone number is (571)272-7797. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday; 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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/TEMICA M BEAMER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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