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.
Claims 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claims recite “A computer-readable storage medium storing….” The specification at par. 40 discusses “non-transitory medium” with examples, but nothing explicitly discussing the claimed “computer-readable storage medium” and thus nothing explicitly excluding the medium from being transitory. The examiner suggests including “non transitory” to overcome this issue.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 9, 10, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Marquezan et al. (US 2021/0297874 A1, hereinafter Marquezan).
Regarding claims 1, 9, and 17. Marquezan teaches a network repository function (NRF), computer readable medium, and method (figure 4, NRF 100) comprising:
a processor; a non-transitory computer-readable memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform actions (par 81 explains device 100, which is the NRF, is configured to receive data, analyze, and provide information, which would make a processor and memory inherent for the device to perform these actions. Further, Marquezan specifically shows in claim 1 that the device has a processor and memory) including:
receiving, via a network and from a network function (NF) (figure 4 item 102a NF), a request to create a subscription to an event of the NRF (figure 4, item 1; par. 210);
creating, in a data storage, the subscription, the subscription being associated with a subscription ID (Marquezan does not specifically state that the subscription is stored with an associated ID. However, this is an inherent function of the NRF in order to be able to respond to the request with the subscription ID and to provide notifications of events as it requires the subscription ID to know which devices to notify. Par. 216 explains that the NRF sends notifications about changes to the NFs that subscribed to receive such notifications. the Further, par. 109 indicates the NRF 100 stores information related to the discovery of information. Thus, in order to notify NFs of changes or updates that they specifically previously subscribed to, it must inherently store the subscription with ID to be able to perform such actions.);
sending, via the network and to the NF, a response to the request that includes the subscription ID (figure 4, item 2; par. 211 NRF sends the response including the ID of the subscription);
detecting an occurrence of the event, the event causing a status change of the NRF (figure 4 item 4a and 4b; par. 209, NFs subscribe to receive notifications about changes in analytics metadata information at NRF 100. Thus, the change of data AT THE NRF, reads on event causing a status change of the NRF (i.e. updated data). Further par. 213-215 explain that the NRF is notified of any changes and receives the updated analytics metadata information…thus is detects the occurrence of the event, causing a change in status of the NRF, which is the change in the analytics metadata information that is updated at the NRF); and
sending, via the network and to the NF, a notification with respect to the event based on the subscription of the NF that is associated with the subscription ID. (figure 4, item; par. 216, NRF sends notification about changes of the NWDAF to the NFs that subscribed to receive such notifications)
Regarding claims 2 and 10. Marquezan further teaches wherein the request identifies the NRF, of which, the status change is requested to be monitored (par. 209, subscribing to receive notifications about changes in analytics metadata information AT NRF 100, thus NRF 100 is identified in the request to monitor since the request is to monitor change in data at that NRF).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 3-8, 11-15, 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marquezan in view of 3GPP TS 29.510 V18.6.0, Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; 5G System; Network Function Repository Services; Stage 3 (Release 18), March 2024 (Year: 2024) (hereinafter 3GPP).
Regarding claims 3, 11, and 18. Marquezan teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Marquezan further teaches wherein the request includes subscription data (figure 4, Nrf_NFManagement NFStatusSubscribe service operation from NRF 100 to subscribe to receive updates in analytics metadata information, thus reads on “subscription data”).
However, they do not specifically disclose wherein attribute of SubscrCond in the subscription data is set as the NRF. 3GPP, in a similar field of endeavor, teaches about network functions (NF), network function repository (NRF), and the specifics of subscribing for status changes (pages 15-27). 3GPP specifically teaches the request includes subscription data (page 134, subscriptionID) and an attribute of SubscrCond in the subscription data is set as the NRF (page 134, subscrCond).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of (effective) filing to incorporate the different attributes for subscription of 3GPP into the method and system of the network repository function of Marquezan. The motivation for doing so would have been to allow for the subscriber to decie what attributes they would like notifications for and provide conditions for said notifications (3GPP page 134 notes the attribute shall contain the conditions identifying the set of NF Instances whose status is requested to be monitored).
Regarding claims 4 and 12. 3GPP further teaches wherein the request identifies a validity time, after which, the subscription is invalid (3GPP page 134).
Regarding claims 5 and 13. 3GPP further teaches wherein the event indicates a registration of the NF is expired or the registration of the NF is lost, and the notification includes a request for the NF to re-register (3GPP pages 19-20, specifically first par of page 20, retry registration after receiving bad request)
Regarding claims 6, 14, and 20. 3GPP further teaches wherein the event indicates a change of heartbeat timer pre-set for the NF, and the notification includes a new heartbeat timer set for the NF. (3GPP page 89, heartbeat timer)
Regarding claims 7, 15, and 19. 3GPP further teaches wherein the event indicates a change of an availability time of the NRF, and the notification includes a new availability time of the NRF. (3GPP page 28, section 2a, response includes validity time reads on availability time)
Regarding claims 8 and 16. 3GPP further teaches wherein the event indicates the subscription is expired or the subscription is expiring after a time period, and the notification includes a request for the NF to re-subscribe. (3GPP page 28, section 2a)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure has been noted on the 892. These references all relate to subscribing to notifications to changes or events with network functions (NF) and network function repository (NFR).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL THIER whose telephone number is (571) 272-2832. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 6:30 AM - 4:00 PM, Fri 7:00 AM-10:00 AM.
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/Michael Thier/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2474
Michael Thier
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2474
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