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 Objections
Claims 1, 6 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 1, 6, and 11 recite: “an information related to a user equipment the (UE)”
This phrase is grammatically improper and contains an apparent extraneous word “the” before “(UE).” The term “information” is generally a non-count noun and should not be introduced as “an information.” Additionally, the phrase “a user equipment the (UE)” is unclear in form.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites: The system as claimed in claim 6, further configured to determine perform, by the at least one GMLC node (112), an authorization of the at least one network element before delivering the location information of the UE.”
The phrase “configured to determine perform” is grammatically unclear and renders the scope of the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the system is intended to be configured to determine an authorization, to perform an authorization, or to perform some other operation involving authorization. As a result, one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the metes and bounds of the claimed system. See MPEP § 2173.05(e).
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) (a)(2) as being anticipated by 3GPP TS 23.273 v17.4.0 (hereinafter 3GPP).
Regarding claim 1, 3GPP discloses a method for providing location services in a network comprising a plurality of gateway mobile location center (GMLC) nodes (§ 4.3.3: “In one PLMN, there may be more than one GMLC.”; § 4.2.2 and Figs. 4.2.2-1/4.2.2-2 disclose HGMLC and VGMLC in roaming architecture), the method comprising:
sending, by at least one network element, a location assistance request to at least one GMLC node (§ 4.3.2: “LCS Clients may access LCS services from a GMLC”; AFs/NFs may access GMLC directly or via NEF; § 6.1.2, step 1: LCS Client or AF via NEF sends a request to the GMLC for location of the target UE);
requesting, by the at least one GMLC node, an information related to a user equipment the (UE) based on the received location assistance request, from at least one unified data management (UDM) (§ 4.3.3: GMLC may request routing information and/or target UE privacy information from UDM via Nudm; § 6.1.2, steps 2–3: GMLC invokes Nudm_SDM_Get for privacy settings and Nudm_UECM_Get for serving AMF/routing information),
wherein the information includes a routing information and a privacy information of the UE (§ 4.3.6: “The UDM contains LCS subscriber LCS privacy profile and routing information.”; § 4.3.3 similarly states routing and privacy information are requested from UDM);
receiving, by the at least one GMLC node, the requested information from the at least one UDM (§ 6.1.2, step 2: UDM returns target UE privacy setting; § 6.1.2, step 3: UDM returns current serving AMF address and, for roaming, VGMLC address);
verifying, by the at least one GMLC node, a privacy profile of the UE based on the received requested information (§ 4.3.3: GMLC verifies target UE privacy; § 6.1.2, step 2: GMLC checks the UE LCS privacy profile; § 5.4.5: HGMLC determines whether the LCS client or NF is authorized based on the UE privacy profile); and
delivering, by the at least one GMLC node, the location information of the UE to the at least one network element (§ 6.1.2, step 24: GMLC sends the location service response to the LCS Client or AF via NEF if the target UE is allowed to be located; § 4.3.3 also describes delivering a location estimate after privacy checking).
Regarding claim 2, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, 3GPP teaches wherein the at least one network element includes a location services (LCS) client, at least one access and mobility management function serving (AMF), and at least one network exposure function (NEF) (i.e., 3GPP discloses that the network elements involved in the claimed GMLC-based location service include an LCS Client, an AMF, and an NEF (See 3GPP §§ 4.3.2, 4.3.7, 4.3.9, and § 6.1.2).
Regarding claim 3, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, 3GPP teaches the method, further comprising determining if the received location assistance request is a request for 4G customer or a 5G customer (i.e., 3GPP discloses a 5GC GMLC receiving an LCS service request determines whether the target UE is served by EPC or 5GC and handles the request accordingly, which corresponds under broadest reasonable interpretation to determining whether the request is for a 4G customer or a 5G customer) (See 3GPP §§ 4.2a.1 and 6.13.1).
Regarding claim 4, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, 3GPP teaches the method, further comprising performing, by the at least one GMLC node (112), an authorization of the at least one network element before delivering the location information of the UE (i.e., 3GPP discloses GMLC/HGMLC authorization of the requesting LCS Client or AF before the GMLC delivers UE location information) (See 3GPP §§ 4.3.3, 5.4.5, and 6.1.2, steps 1 and 24).
Regarding claim 5, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 1. In addition, 3GPP teaches the method, wherein each GMLC node of the plurality of GMLC nodes is connected independently to different network elements connected to the network (i.e., 3GPP discloses plural GMLC nodes connected through separate, independent standardized reference points to different network elements, including LCS Client, AMF, UDM, NEF, LRF, other GMLCs, MME, and HSS/UDM) (See 3GPP §§ 4.2.1–4.2.2, 4.2a.2–4.2a.3, 4.3.3, 4.4.1–4.4.12, and FIGS. 4.2.1-1, 4.2.2-1, 4.2a.2-1).
Regarding claim 6, 3GPP discloses a system for providing location services in a network comprising a plurality of gateway mobile location center (GMLC) nodes (§ 4.3.3: “In one PLMN, there may be more than one GMLC.”; § 4.2.2 and Figs. 4.2.2-1/4.2.2-2 disclose HGMLC and VGMLC in roaming architecture), the method comprising:
send, by at least one network element, a location assistance request to at least one GMLC node (§ 4.3.2: “LCS Clients may access LCS services from a GMLC”; AFs/NFs may access GMLC directly or via NEF; § 6.1.2, step 1: LCS Client or AF via NEF sends a request to the GMLC for location of the target UE);
request, by the at least one GMLC node, an information related to a user equipment the (UE) based on the received location assistance request, from at least one unified data management (UDM) (§ 4.3.3: GMLC may request routing information and/or target UE privacy information from UDM via Nudm; § 6.1.2, steps 2–3: GMLC invokes Nudm SDM_Get for privacy settings and Nudm_UECM_Get for serving AMF/routing information),
wherein the information includes a routing information and a privacy information of the UE (§ 4.3.6: “The UDM contains LCS subscriber LCS privacy profile and routing information.”; § 4.3.3 similarly states routing and privacy information are requested from UDM);
receive, by the at least one GMLC node, the requested information from the at least one UDM (§ 6.1.2, step 2: UDM returns target UE privacy setting; § 6.1.2, step 3: UDM returns current serving AMF address and, for roaming, VGMLC address);
verify, by the at least one GMLC node, a privacy profile of the UE based on the received requested information (§ 4.3.3: GMLC verifies target UE privacy; § 6.1.2, step 2: GMLC checks the UE LCS privacy profile; § 5.4.5: HGMLC determines whether the LCS client or NF is authorized based on the UE privacy profile); and
deliver, by the at least one GMLC node, the location information of the UE to the at least one network element (§ 6.1.2, step 24: GMLC sends the location service response to the LCS Client or AF via NEF if the target UE is allowed to be located; § 4.3.3 also describes delivering a location estimate after privacy checking).
Regarding claim 7, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 6. In addition, 3GPP teaches wherein the at least one network element includes a location services (LCS) client, at least one access and mobility management function serving (AMF), and at least one network exposure function (NEF) (i.e., 3GPP discloses that the network elements involved in the claimed GMLC-based location service include an LCS Client, an AMF, and an NEF (See 3GPP §§ 4.3.2, 4.3.7, 4.3.9, and § 6.1.2).
Regarding claim 8, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 6. In addition, 3GPP teaches the system, further configured to determine if the received location assistance request is a 4G request or a 5G request (i.e., 3GPP discloses a 5GC GMLC receiving an LCS service request determines whether the target UE is served by EPC or 5GC and handles the request accordingly, which corresponds under broadest reasonable interpretation to determining whether the request is for a 4G customer or a 5G customer) (See 3GPP §§ 4.2a.1 and 6.13.1).
Regarding claim 9, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 6. In addition, 3GPP teaches the system, further configured to determine perform, by the at least one GMLC node, an authorization of the at least one network element before delivering the location information of the UE (i.e., 3GPP discloses GMLC/HGMLC authorization of the requesting LCS Client or AF before the GMLC delivers UE location information) (See 3GPP §§ 4.3.3, 5.4.5, and 6.1.2, steps 1 and 24).
Regarding claim 10, 3GPP discloses all the limitations of claim 6. In addition, 3GPP teaches the system, wherein each GMLC node of the plurality of GMLC nodes is connected independently to different network elements connected to the network (i.e., 3GPP discloses plural GMLC nodes connected through separate, independent standardized reference points to different network elements, including LCS Client, AMF, UDM, NEF, LRF, other GMLCs, MME, and HSS/UDM) (See 3GPP §§ 4.2.1–4.2.2, 4.2a.2–4.2a.3, 4.3.3, 4.4.1–4.4.12, and FIGS. 4.2.1-1, 4.2.2-1, 4.2a.2-1).
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 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP TS 23.273 v17.4.0 (hereinafter 3GPP) and in view of Edge et al., U.S. Patent Number 11,696,095 (hereinafter Edge).
Regarding claim 11, 3GPP discloses a method for providing location services in a network comprising a plurality of gateway mobile location center (GMLC) nodes (§ 4.3.3: “In one PLMN, there may be more than one GMLC.”; § 4.2.2 and Figs. 4.2.2-1/4.2.2-2 disclose HGMLC and VGMLC in roaming architecture), the method comprising:
sending, by at least one network element, a location assistance request to at least one GMLC node (§ 4.3.2: “LCS Clients may access LCS services from a GMLC”; AFs/NFs may access GMLC directly or via NEF; § 6.1.2, step 1: LCS Client or AF via NEF sends a request to the GMLC for location of the target UE);
requesting, by the at least one GMLC node, an information related to a user equipment the (UE) based on the received location assistance request, from at least one unified data management (UDM) (§ 4.3.3: GMLC may request routing information and/or target UE privacy information from UDM via Nudm; § 6.1.2, steps 2–3: GMLC invokes Nudm_SDM_Get for privacy settings and Nudm_UECM_Get for serving AMF/routing information),
wherein the information includes a routing information and a privacy information of the UE (§ 4.3.6: “The UDM contains LCS subscriber LCS privacy profile and routing information.”; § 4.3.3 similarly states routing and privacy information are requested from UDM);
receiving, by the at least one GMLC node, the requested information from the at least one UDM (§ 6.1.2, step 2: UDM returns target UE privacy setting; § 6.1.2, step 3: UDM returns current serving AMF address and, for roaming, VGMLC address);
verifying, by the at least one GMLC node, a privacy profile of the UE based on the received requested information (§ 4.3.3: GMLC verifies target UE privacy; § 6.1.2, step 2: GMLC checks the UE LCS privacy profile; § 5.4.5: HGMLC determines whether the LCS client or NF is authorized based on the UE privacy profile); and
delivering, by the at least one GMLC node, the location information of the UE to the at least one network element (§ 6.1.2, step 24: GMLC sends the location service response to the LCS Client or AF via NEF if the target UE is allowed to be located; § 4.3.3 also describes delivering a location estimate after privacy checking).
3GPP fails to explicitly teach a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method of claim 11.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Edge teaches a system and method for 5G location support using service based interfaces, wherein a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) includes one or more processors and memory, which may be coupled together with a bus. The memory may contain executable code or software instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to operate as a special purpose computer programmed to perform the procedures and techniques disclosed herein (see col. 50, lines 3-27 and fig. 20; GMLC 2000 with one or more processors 2004 and memory 2010).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of Applicant’s claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Edge into the location-service method described in the 3GPP specification by implementing the method as a computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method. Edge teaches software-based 5G location service functions implemented using processors, memory, and service-based interfaces. Thus, the proposed combination merely applies a known software-implementation technique to the known 5GS LCS method of the 3GPP specification, enabling predictable execution of GMLC/UDM/AMF/NEF operations on conventional network-function infrastructure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guo et al., U.S. Patent Number 12,069,541 A1 discloses terminal device location determining method and device.
Edge et al., U.S. Publication Number 2025/0119821 A1 discloses methods and systems for supporting unified location of a mobile device in a 5G network.
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/ANTHONY S ADDY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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