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 § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 1-6, 8-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea) without “significantly more”. Claim(s) 1-6, 8-18 is/are directed to Abstract Idea such as an idea standing alone such as an instantiated concept, pan or scheme, as well as a mental process (thinking) that “can be performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper for example sending, to the communication apparatus, first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in Pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI).
The apparatus and the method claims 1, 8 and 13 recites limitation , “sending, to the communication apparatus”. Since the claim is directed to a process and a machine, which is one of the statutory categories of the invention (Step 1: YES).
The claim is then analyzed to determine whether it is directed to any judicial exception. The claim recites sending, to the communication apparatus, first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in Pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, recited in the claim is no more than an abstract idea i.e., mental process of sending, etc. (Step 2A: Prong One Abstract Idea=Yes).
The claim is then analyzed if it requires an additional elements or a combination of additional elements in the claim to apply, rely on, or use the judicial exception in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the exception – i.e., limitation that are indicative of integration into a practical application: improving to the functioning of a computer or to any other technology or technical field. In the current claims, there is no additional elements that would integrate the abstract idea into a practical application (Step 2A: Prong Two Abstract Idea=Yes).
Next the claim as a whole is analyzed to determine if there are additional limitation recited in the claim such that the claim amount to significantly more than an abstract idea. The claim requires the additional limitation of a computer with the central processing unit, memory, a printer, an input and output terminal and a program. These generic computer components are claimed to perform the basic functions of storing, retrieving and processing data through the program that enables. In the current scenario, there are no additional elements that would amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Therefore, the claim does not amount to significantly more than the abstract idea itself (Step 2B: No). Accordingly, the claim is not patent eligible.
Further, dependent claims does not add any positive limitation or step that recite within the scope of the claim and does not carry patentable weight they are also rejected for the same reasons as independent claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-6, 8-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KUGE (20250097834).
Regarding claim 1, Kuge discloses, a method of a User Equipment (UE, fig. 3, 6-7), the method comprising:
communicating with a communication apparatus; and sending, to the communication apparatus, first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in Pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) (¶ 0242-0243, 0364, 0368, one or more pieces of S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI transmitted together are S-NSSAI of the current PLMN or SNPN or S-NSSAI or VPLMN of an HPLMN or an HSNPN.).
Regarding claim 2, Kuge discloses, wherein the sending the first S-NSSAI includes sending the first S-NSSAI after performing a network slice based cell reselection (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 3, Kuge discloses, wherein the network slice based cell reselection is performed for second S- NSSAI, and wherein the second S-NSSAI is different from the first S-NSSAI (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 4, Kuge discloses, wherein the sending the first S-NSSAI includes sending the first S-NSSAI and Requested NSSAI including the second S-NSSAI (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 5, Kuge discloses, wherein the first S-NSSAI and the Requested NSSAI are included in a registration request message (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 6, Kuge discloses, wherein the sending the first S-NSSAI includes sending the first S-NSSAI in a case where the UE has the Pending NSSAI.
Regarding claim 8, Kuge discloses, a method of a communication apparatus, the method comprising: receiving first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in Pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE); and
aborting Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization (NSSAA) procedure for the first S-NSSAI (¶ 0125, 0145, 0158, 0467-0468, The rejected NSSAI transmitted and/or received by using the rejected NSSAI IE may be information including one or multiple combinations of S-NSSAI (SST and/or SD) and a rejection cause value (rejected S-NSSAI). The rejected NSSAI transmitted and/or received using an Extended rejected NSSAI IE may be, during roaming, information including one or more combinations (Rejected S-NSSAI) of S-NSSAI (SST and/or SD) and mapped S-NSSAI (SST of the mapped HPLMN or SNPN and/or SD of the mapped HPLMN or SNPN) (if any. For example, when the UE performs roaming, or in a case that the associated PLMN or SNPN is the VPLMN or VSNPN) and the rejection cause value).
Regarding claim 9, Kuge discloses, wherein the first S-NSSAI is included in a registration request message, wherein the registration request message includes Requested NSSAI, wherein the Requested NSSAI includes second S-NSSAI, and wherein the second S-NSSAI is different from the first S-NSSAI (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 10, Kuge discloses, wherein the aborting the NSSAA procedure includes aborting the NSSAA procedure in a case where the NSSAA procedure is ongoing (¶ 0125, 0145, 0158, 0467-0468, The rejected NSSAI transmitted and/or received by using the rejected NSSAI IE may be information including one or multiple combinations of S-NSSAI (SST and/or SD) and a rejection cause value (rejected S-NSSAI). The rejected NSSAI transmitted and/or received using an Extended rejected NSSAI IE may be, during roaming, information including one or more combinations (Rejected S-NSSAI) of S-NSSAI (SST and/or SD) and mapped S-NSSAI (SST of the mapped HPLMN or SNPN and/or SD of the mapped HPLMN or SNPN) (if any. For example, when the UE performs roaming, or in a case that the associated PLMN or SNPN is the VPLMN or VSNPN) and the rejection cause value).
Regarding claim 11, Kuge discloses, removing the first S-NSSAI from Allowed NSSAI in a case where the NSSAA procedure completes successfully (¶ 0174, 0184, 0191, 0215, 0222, the UE registered with the network slice or the S-NSSAI may refer to the S-NSSAI indicating the network slice included in allowed NSSAI for storage. An apparatus within a network, the apparatus supporting the function to manage the maximum number of UEs connected to a slice or the function to manage and/or control the maximum number of UEs that can be registered with a network slice or S-NSSAI simultaneously can store, for each piece of S-NSSAI, whether to require management of the maximum number of UEs connected to the slice and can further check, during the registration procedure, whether the number of registered UEs has reached a certain constant corresponding to the maximum number. Furthermore, each apparatus supporting the function to manage the maximum number of UEs connected to a slice or the function to manage and/or control the maximum number of UEs that can be registered with the network slice or S-NSSAI simultaneously is good to be able to store the fourth rejected NSSAI. In this specification, the maximum number of UE connected to a slice may be referred to as the maximum number of UE connected per slice, or the maximum number of UE that can be registered with a network slice or S-NSSAI, or the maximum number of UE, or a constant).
Regarding claim 12, Kuge discloses, including the first S-NSSAI in Rejected NSSAI in a case where the NSSAA procedure fails (¶ 0183-0184, 0482-0485, the UE_A 10 has received the rejection cause value “S-NSSAI not available due to failed or revoked NSSAA” and the rejected NSSAI including the rejected S-NSSAI associated with the rejection cause value, the UE_A 10 may add and/or store the S-NSSAI to and/or in the “third rejected NSSAI”. Note that, in a case that the UE stores the third rejected NSSAI associated with the current PLMN, the received S-NSSAI may be added to and/or stored in the third rejected NSSAI associated with the current PLMN and the UE_A 10 has received the rejected NSSAI, the UE_A 10 may delete the S-NSSAI included in the received rejected NSSAI from the “allowed NSSAI associated with the current PL).
Regarding claim 13, Kuge discloses, a user Equipment (UE, fig. 3) comprising:
at least one memory (340); and at least one hardware processor (300) coupled to the at least one memory (340), wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to send, to a communication apparatus, first Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) included in Pending Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) (¶ 0242-0243, 0364, 0368, one or more pieces of S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI transmitted together are S-NSSAI of the current PLMN or SNPN or S-NSSAI or VPLMN of an HPLMN or an HSNPN.).
Regarding claim 14, Kuge discloses, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to send the first S-NSSAI after performing a network slice based cell reselection (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 15, Kuge discloses, wherein the network slice based cell reselection is performed for second S- NSSAI, and wherein the second S-NSSAI is different from the first S-NSSAI (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 16, Kuge discloses, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to send the first S-NSSAI and Requested NSSAI including the second S-NSSAI (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 17, Kuge discloses, wherein the first S-NSSAI and the Requested NSSAI are included in a registration request message (¶ 0126, 0308, 0368-0369, UE_A 10 stores the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI and the pending NSSAI when the UE_A 10 is roaming, and further in a case that the UE_A 10 stores one or more pieces of mapped S-NSSAI that is not included in the mapped S-NSSAI with respect to the pending NSSAI stored in the UE_A 10 but is included in the list of the mapped S-NSSAI of the Configured NSSAI, the UE may include the pending NSSAI associated with the mapped S-NSSAI and the S-NSSAI included in the configured NSSAI in the registration request message together with the mapped S-NSSAI and transmit the message. Furthermore, in a case that the UE stores “pending NSSAI valid for all PLMNs” (hereinafter, “pending NSSAI”), the UE may transmit the S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI, or the S-NSSAI to which the S-NSSAI is mapped, or the S-NSSAI associated with the S-NSSAI, or the mapped S-NSSAI of the S-NSSAI without including the S-NSSAI in the requested NSSAI IE).
Regarding claim 18, Kuge discloses, wherein the at least one hardware processor is configured to send the first S-NSSAI in a case where the UE has the Pending NSSAI (¶ 0242-0243, 0364, 0368, one or more pieces of S-NSSAI included in the pending NSSAI transmitted together are S-NSSAI of the current PLMN or SNPN or S-NSSAI or VPLMN of an HPLMN or an HSNPN.).
Conclusion
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/KHAWAR IQBAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2643
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