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
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) 1-2, 4,7, 12, 18, 20, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Naidu (WO 2020/218858), provided by Applicant.
Regarding claim 1, Naidu discloses a system for provisioning interworking of communication networks, (claim 23 "An Interworking Function (IWF) unit for establishing an interworking between a fifth-generation (5G) cellular network and a fourth-generation (4G) cellular network, the IWF unit comprising:)
said system comprising:
one or more processors; and a memory operatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory comprises processor-executable instructions, which on execution, cause the one or more processors to: (claim 15 "...a processor; and a memory, communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores processor-executable instructions, which on execution, cause the processor to:...")
-receive a service request from a first charging function (=PCF) based on a first protocol format (=HTTP 2.0), wherein the first charging function (=PCF) is associated with a first communication network having a first radio access technology (RAT)( =5G); (claim 23 receive a first service request for accessing a Policy Control Function (PCF) service, from a User Equipment (UE) operating in the 5G cellular network;...", "Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a 'Beyond 4G Network' or a 'Post LTE System")
-convert the received service request to a second protocol format (=Diameter) wherein the second protocol format is associated with a second charging function at a second communication network having a second RAT ( = /LTE) ; (claim 23 convert the first service request to a second service request corresponding to the 4G cellular network and transmitting the second service request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node associated with the 4G cellular network...", claim 25 " ...wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.", FIG. 2 illustrates interworking between the 5G cellular network and the 4G cellular network with respect to Policy Control Function (PCF) services The PCRF node 207 on the 4G cellular network may be equivalent to the PCF node 203 on the 5G cellular network and may be responsible for service management and control of the 4G/LTE network services.")
-receive a response message for the service request based on the second protocol format from the second charging function; and (claim 25 " wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.")
-convert the received response message to the first protocol format associated with the first charging function. (claim 24 wherein the first service request is a HyperText Transfer Protocol 2.0 (HTTP 2.0) based request for the PCF service and the first service request is received from a PCF node associated with the 5G cellular network.")
Regarding claim 18, Naidu discloses a method for provisioning of communications networks, the method comprising: -receiving a service request from a first charging function (=PCF) based on a first protocol format (=HTTP 2.0), wherein the first charging function (=PCF) is associated with a first communication network having a first radio access technology (RAT)( =5G); (claim 23 receive a first service request for accessing a Policy Control Function (PCF) service, from a User Equipment (UE) operating in the 5G cellular network;...", "Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a 'Beyond 4G Network' or a 'Post LTE System")
-converting the received service request to a second protocol format (=Diameter) wherein the second protocol format is associated with a second charging function at a second communication network having a second RAT ( = /LTE) ; (claim 23 convert the first service request to a second service request corresponding to the 4G cellular network and transmitting the second service request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node associated with the 4G cellular network...", claim 25 " ...wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.", FIG. 2 illustrates interworking between the 5G cellular network and the 4G cellular network with respect to Policy Control Function (PCF) services The PCRF node 207 on the 4G cellular network may be equivalent to the PCF node 203 on the 5G cellular network and may be responsible for service management and control of the 4G/LTE network services.")
-receiving a response message for the service request based on the second protocol format from the second charging function; and (claim 25 " wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.")
-converting the received response message to the first protocol format associated with the first charging function. (claim 24 wherein the first service request is a HyperText Transfer Protocol 2.0 (HTTP 2.0) based request for the PCF service and the first service request is received from a PCF node associated with the 5G cellular network.")
Regarding claim 26, Naidu discloses a non-transitory computer readable medium that comprises one or more instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor causes the processor to (para 72- one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized which is executed by a processor): -receive a service request from a first charging function (=PCF) based on a first protocol format (=HTTP 2.0), wherein the first charging function (=PCF) is associated with a first communication network having a first radio access technology (RAT)( =5G); (claim 23 receive a first service request for accessing a Policy Control Function (PCF) service, from a User Equipment (UE) operating in the 5G cellular network;...", "Therefore, the 5G or pre-5G communication system is also called a 'Beyond 4G Network' or a 'Post LTE System")
-convert the received service request to a second protocol format (=Diameter) wherein the second protocol format is associated with a second charging function at a second communication network having a second RAT ( = /LTE) ; (claim 23 convert the first service request to a second service request corresponding to the 4G cellular network and transmitting the second service request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) node associated with the 4G cellular network...", claim 25 " ...wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.", FIG. 2 illustrates interworking between the 5G cellular network and the 4G cellular network with respect to Policy Control Function (PCF) services The PCRF node 207 on the 4G cellular network may be equivalent to the PCF node 203 on the 5G cellular network and may be responsible for service management and control of the 4G/LTE network services.")
-receive a response message for the service request based on the second protocol format from the second charging function; and (claim 25 " wherein the second service request is a Diameter protocol request corresponding to the HSS.")
-convert the received response message to the first protocol format associated with the first charging function. (claim 24 wherein the first service request is a HyperText Transfer Protocol 2.0 (HTTP 2.0) based request for the PCF service and the first service request is received from a PCF node associated with the 5G cellular network.")
Regarding claims 2 and 4, Naidu discloses that the first Rat comprises a 5g network and the second network having the second RAT comprises a 4g network (para 10, 4g and 5g networks) and the first protocol comprises a HTTP2 protocol and the second protocol is a diameter protocol (claims 24-25, also para 9 and 27).
Regarding claim 7 and 20, Naidu discloses the memory discloses processor executable instructions that when executed, cause the processors to (Para 72): receive a first notification request based on the second protocol format, convert the first notification request based on the second protocol format to a second notification request based on the first protocol format; and transmit the second notification request to the first charging function (sending a 5g request that is converted and sent to the 4g system, para 35 – “In an embodiment, when the UE 101 and/or the service consumer in the 5G cellular network sends a PCF service request 202 to the PCF node 203, a NRF node (not shown in FIG. 2) associated with the PCF node 203, may assign an IWF instance to the UE 101 for providing the requested service to the UE. Thereafter, the UE 101 in the 5G cellular network may send a HTTP 2.0 request 109, corresponding to the PCF service request 202, to the IWF unit 105, assuming that the IWF unit 105 may provide the required PCF service. In an embodiment, upon receiving the HTTP 2.0 request 109 for the PCF service, the IWF unit 105 may convert the HTTP 2.0 request 109 to a corresponding Diameter request 206 and forward il to the PCRF node 207 in the 4G cellular network. The PCRF node 207 may process the Diameter request 206 and generate a suitable PCF service response 208 for the Diameter request 206. Upon receiving the PCF service response 208 from the PCRF node 207, the IWF unit 105 may map the PCF service response 208 to the corresponding HTTP 2.0 response and forward it to the PCF node 203. Finally, the UE 101 may access the PCF service from the PCF node 203, as if the service is being provided by the PCF node 203. Thus, even in the case of PCF requests, the IWF unit 105 ensures a seamless switching between the 5G cellular network and the 4G cellular network.”)
Regarding claim 12, Naidu also discloses the use of audio calls (para 64, the IWF/conversion pulls data from I/O devices including audio, etc.)
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) 3 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naidu in view of Vidyashankar (2022/0116854), provided by Applicant.
Regarding claims 3 and 25, Naidu discloses the use of a first charging function comprising a policy control function (PCF 203) as well as the network comprising a 4g network (para 10) but fails to disclose the second charging function being an online charging system (OCS). However, Vidyashankar teaches in an analogous art, the use of an online charging system (PCRF and OCS figure 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include both types of charging systems in order to provide coverage for any type of wireless network for billing clients.
Claim(s) 5-6, 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naidu in view of 3gpp Spending limit control, provided by applicant.
Regarding claims 5-6, 8, 19, 21, Naidu discloses the use of spending signaling but fails to disclose NCHF requests or the use of spending limit answer/terminations. However, 3gpp Spending limit control teaches that a request can include Nchf_SpendingLimitControl_Subscribe or Unsubscribe (sections 4.2.2 and 4.2.3) and the use of spending limit answer(Subscription update) or termination (Deletion of spending limit) signaling (pages 21-22). Furthermore, 3gpp teaches Nchf_Spendinglimitcontrol_notify signals (section 4.2.4). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the Nchf signaling as taught by 3gpp in order to standardize the signaling related to the charging operations.
Claim(s) 9, 11, 22, 24, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naidu in view 3gpp Charging Management (stage 15), provided by applicant.
Regarding claims 9, 11, 22, 24, Naidu discloses all the particulars of the claim except receiving a first converged charging request from a third charging function, where it is one of a charging trigger function or session management function. However, 3gpp Charging Management teaches that a charging trigger function (CTF) can be received with respect to charging management (sections 4-5.1, pages 9-12, use of CTF and CHF for charging functions which are not Http2 or Diameter as disclosed by Naidu). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include CTF/CHF functions in order to meet standards agreed to by the wireless industry for signals.
Claim(s) 10 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naidu and 3gpp Charging Management as applied to claim 9 above, and further in view of Li (2019/0229935).
Regarding claims 10 and 23, the combination of Naidu and 3gpp Charging Management disclose the use of Nchf_converged_charging signaling (Section 5.2.2, pages 10-13) but fails to disclose the use of CCR signals. However, Li teaches in an analogous art, the use of CCR-U, CCR-T, and CCR-I signals (para 48-60 and 63). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use CCR signals related to charging functions in order to allow for APN/DNN as well as LTE/5g signaling to avoid useless data requests as taught by LI to the system of Naidu and 3gpp.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the closest prior art (Naidu) discloses an interworking function that supports conversion of charging standards between a first and second standard (4g and 5g). Naidu further discloses the use of audio calls in the network but fails to disclose nor fairly suggest converting the charging request based on audio to video upgrades/downgrades as well as InRoamer converged requests associating with a matching/not matching of a PLMN to a PLMN list.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yan (2021/0152380) discloses CHF candidate selection for charging.
Ahamdi (2020/0358909) discloses charging between 4g and 5g networks.
Qiao (2020/0092424) discloses charging policy with SMF and PCF elements.
Anand (2016/0142554) discloses converting billing records between home and visiting networks.
Chai (11616372) discloses charging triggers in a PDU network.
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WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/WILLIAM G TROST IV/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
