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 in response to the application filed on December 30, 2024.
Claims 1-16 are pending. Claims 1-16 represent DATA PACKET TRANSMISSION METHOD AND VIRTUAL NETWORK GROUP.
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.
2. Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. U.S. 20250070999.
Li teaches the invention as claimed including Method for Virtual Network Transmission, Apparatus, and Storage Medium (see abstract).
As to claim 1, Li teaches a method for transmitting a data packet, applied to a virtual network group, comprising:
providing or accessing the virtual network group, wherein the virtual network group comprises a first Session Management Function (SMF) and a second SMF, a first User Plane Function (UPF) and a first group communication UPF are managed by the first SMF, and a second UPF and a second group communication UPF are managed by the second SMF, a first communication tunnel is pre-configured between the first group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF, the first UPF is associated with a first User Equipment (UE), and the second UPF is associated with a second UE (abstract);
when receiving a first data packet sent by the first UE, forwarding, by the first UPF, the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to a first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF (paragraphs 4-5);
sending, by the first group communication UPF, according to a destination address in the received first data packet, the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel (paragraph 46);
forwarding, by the second group communication UPF, the received first data packet to the second UPF according to a second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF (paragraph 5); and
sending, by the second UPF, the received first data packet to the second UE (paragraph 63).
As to claim 2, Li teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
when the first data packet is sent to the first UPF by the first UE, sending, by the first SMF, a first N4 signaling to the first UPF and the first group communication UPF to make the first UPF and the first group communication UPF establish, based on the received first N4 signaling, a second communication tunnel (paragraph 4); and
when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, forwarding, by the first UPF, the first data packet to the first group communication UPF according to the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF comprises:
receiving, by the first UPF, the first forwarding rule issued by the first SMF (abstract); and
when receiving the first data packet sent by the first UE, forwarding, by the first UPF, according to the first forwarding rule, the first data packet to the first group communication UPF using the second communication tunnel (paragraph 31).
As to claim 3, Li teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:
when the first data packet is received by the second group communication UPF, sending, by the second SMF, a second N4 signaling to the second group communication UPF and the second UPF according to the destination address in the first data packet to make the second group communication UPF and the second UPF establish, based on the received second N4 signaling, a third communication tunnel (paragraph 29); and
forwarding, by the second group communication UPF, the received first data packet to the second UPF according to the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF comprises:
receiving, by the second group communication UPF, the second forwarding rule issued by the second SMF (abstract); and
forwarding, by the second group communication UPF, according to the second forwarding rule, the received first data packet to the second UPF using the third communication tunnel (paragraph 5).
As to claim 4, Li teaches the method according to claim 1, wherein sending, by the first group communication UPF, according to the destination address in the received first data packet, the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel comprises:
based on a forwarding table between individual group communication UPFs, sending, by the first group communication UPF, according to the destination address in the received first data packet, the first data packet to the second group communication UPF using the first communication tunnel (abstract); and
the method further comprises:
in a case where a third SMF is newly added to the virtual network group, selecting, by the third SMF, a UPF from UPFs managed by itself as a third group communication UPF (claim 3 of Li); and
the method further comprises:
when configuration of a fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the first group communication UPF and a fourth communication tunnel configured between the third group communication UPF and the second group communication UPF is completed, updating, by the third SMF, the forwarding table based on fourth communication tunnels (paragraph 45).
Claims 5-16 did not teach anything different from the rejected claims above, therefore are rejected similarly.
Conclusion
3. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EL HADJI SALL whose telephone number is (571)272-4010. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-8:30 (flexible).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached at 5712724001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EL HADJI M SALL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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