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 INTERPRETATION
Claims 1, 2, 10, 11, 19 and 20 having limitation “IMS module” has/have been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because it uses/they use a generic placeholder “IMS module” coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier.
Since the claim limitation(s) invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claim(s) has/have been interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the corresponding structure described in the specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph limitation: Fig. 4 and corresponding description regarding IMS 118 provides detailed information regarding IMS module.
If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner’s interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the drawing, if any, by reference characters in response to this Office action.
If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112 , sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the claim(s) so that it/they will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites/recite sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
For more information, see MPEP § 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C. 112 and for Treatment of Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
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.
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.
Claims 1, 3 – 10 and 12 – 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being over
Al-Mehdar US PGPub: US 2020/0145465 A1 May 7, 2020.
Regarding claims 1, 10, 19, Al-Mehdar discloses,
a method, a system comprising: memory configured to store computer-readable instructions; and one or more computing devices operatively coupled to the memory and one or more on-transitory computer-readable storage devices configured to store computer-readable instructions, (when a user equipment UE registers with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem IMS, a serving call session control function S-CSCF of the IMS can obtain user profile information associated with the UE from a Home Subscriber Server HSS. The user profile information may include a priority indicator, such as an indication that a user associated with the UE is a Wireless Priority Services WPS user or other high priority use – ABSTRACT, Figs. 1 - 3, paragraphs 0010 – 0018, 0047), configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform operations comprising and upon execution by one or more computing devices cause the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at one or more computing devices, a first data packet associated with a first Internet Protocol IP Multimedia Subsystem IMS session (a sequence of messages that can be exchanged between a UE 102, a P-CSCF 110, an S-CSCF 114, and an HSS 116 during registration of the UE 102 with the IMS 108. To register with the IMS 108, a UE 102 can send a register message 202, such as a SIP REGISTER message, to a P-CSCF 110. The P-CSCF 110 can be an entry point into the IMS 108 that routes SIP messages to and/or from UEs 102. For example, the UE 102 can send the register message 202 to the P-CSCF 110 via a connection through an access point 104 and/or a core network 106 linked to the IMS 108 – Fig. 2, paragraph 0027) or transaction between a first user equipment UE and an IMS over an IP network;
determining (the S-CSCF 114 can also determine whether the user profile answer 206 received from the HSS 116 included a priority indicator 208. The P-CSCF 110 can determine that the priority message 212 is associated with the same UE 102 that sent the register message 202 – paragraph 0035), based on information included in the first data packet, that an IP address of the first UE is included in a list of IP addresses stored at the IMS module (the P-CSCF 110 can also store data about the service priority level, status of the user, and/or any other priority data about the UE 102 or an associated user that was conveyed in the priority indicator 208 for future use when processing data for the UE 102 – paragraph 0040),
wherein the IMS module is configured with the list that represents UEs deemed to receive priority service (the P-CSCF 110 can also store data about the service priority level, status of the user, and/or any other priority data about the UE 102 or an associated user that was conveyed in the priority indicator 208 for future use when processing data for the UE 102 – paragraph 0040), and
wherein the IP addresses are assigned by a Packet Core Network, to the UEs deemed to receive priority service during set-up of corresponding IMS protocol data unit PDU sessions with the UEs (when the P-CSCF 110 does receive a priority message 212 with a priority indicator 208 for a UE 102, the P-CSCF 110 can return a priority confirmation message 214 to the S-CSCF 114 – paragraph 0039);
responsive to determining that the IP address of the first UE is included in the list of IP addresses stored at the IMS module, routing and processing the first data packet over a first set of network resources configured to provide the priority service (the P-CSCF 110 can implement a prioritized admission control for the UE 102, such that when the P-CSCF 110 is congested, the P-CSCF 110 admits the UE 102 in response to the priority message 212 but may deny admission to other UEs 102 for which a priority message 212 was not received – paragraph 0041).
Regarding claims 3, 12, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein the first data packet pertains to one of: IMS signaling for IMS registration (a UE 102 sends a SIP REGISTER message to a P-CSCF 110. The priority message 212 can be sent using the SIP MESSAGE method – paragraphs 0027, 0035, 0037, 0039. When a UE attaches to the telecommunication network, an IMS registration process can occur. During IMS registration, the UE can send a register message to a Proxy CSCF P-CSCF in the IMS. For example, the register message can be a Session Initiation Protocol SIP REGISTER message – paragraphs 0011, 0025, 0065, 0071), or
a session initiation protocol SIP session (a UE 102 sends a SIP REGISTER message to a P-CSCF 110. The priority message 212 can be sent using the SIP MESSAGE method – paragraphs 0027, 0035, 0037, 0039. When a UE attaches to the telecommunication network, an IMS registration process can occur. During IMS registration, the UE can send a register message to a Proxy CSCF P-CSCF in the IMS. For example, the register message can be a Session Initiation Protocol SIP REGISTER message – paragraphs 0011, 0025, 0065, 0071)
or transaction.
Regarding claims 4, 13, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein whether a particular UE is deemed to receive the priority service is identified based on determining whether the particular UE is associated with a subscription to the priority service in an IP network domain (When the P-CSCF 110 does receive a priority message 212 with a priority indicator 208 for a UE 102, the P-CSCF 110 can return a priority confirmation message 214 to the S-CSCF 114. The P-CSCF 110 can also, upon receiving a priority message 212 with a priority indicator 208 for a UE 102, implement priority services for the UE 102 and/or prioritize traffic for the UE 102 – paragraphs 0039, 0040).
Regarding claims 5, 14, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein whether a particular UE is deemed to receive the priority service is identified based on determining whether the particular UE is associated with a network slice configured to provide the priority service in a 5G wireless network (HSS, a Home Location Register HLR, a combined HSS/HLR, a 5G Unified Data Management UDM element and/or other 5G elements that can manage or access user profiles – paragraphs 0023, 0026).
Regarding claims 6, 15, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein whether a particular UE is deemed to receive the priority service is identified based on determining whether the particular UE is associated with a particular data network name DNN or access point name APN in a wireless network (access points 104 can be part of a radio access network linked to the core network 106. For example, an access point 104 can be a base station, such as an evolved Node B eNB in an LTE network or a gNB in a 5G network – paragraph 0021. The UE 102 can send the register message 202 to the P-CSCF 110 via a connection through an access point 104 and/or a core network 106 linked to the IMS 108 – paragraph 0027).
Regarding claims 7, 16, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein data packets communicated over the IMS session pertain to a voice call or a video call (the IMS can also have application servers that provide services for the communication sessions, such as services for voice calls, video calls, or other types of communications – paragraphs 0010, 0024).
Regarding claims 8, 17, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein the IMS session is associated with a session initiation protocol SIP (a UE 102 sends a SIP REGISTER message to a P-CSCF 110. The priority message 212 can be sent using the SIP MESSAGE method – paragraphs 0027, 0035, 0037, 0039. When a UE attaches to the telecommunication network, an IMS registration process can occur. During IMS registration, the UE can send a register message to a Proxy CSCF P-CSCF in the IMS. For example, the register message can be a Session Initiation Protocol SIP REGISTER message – paragraphs 0011, 0025, 0065, 0071).
Regarding claims 9, 18, Al-Mehdar discloses,
the method of claim 1, wherein the list is stored in the Proxy-Call Session Control Function P-CSCF of the IMS (the P-CSCF 110 can also store data about the service priority level, status of the user, and/or any other priority data about the UE 102 or an associated user that was conveyed in the priority indicator 208 for future use when processing data for the UE 102 – paragraph 0040).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 11 and 19 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 prior arts made of record and not relied upon are considered pertinent to applicants disclosure.
Lonkar US PGPub: US 2025/003075 A1 Jan. 23, 2025.
Priority call handling in wireless communication networks. The user device is subscribed to the wireless network and is authorized for WPS service by the wireless network. The IMS core of the wireless network sends a request to the subscriber management function of the network for a user profile for the user device including the PLMN of the roaming RAN. The subscriber management function identifies a user profile from multiple user profiles for the user device based on the PLMN.
Arunachalam US PGPub: US 2024/0365210 A1 Oct. 31, 2024.
Systems and methods for emergency communications management. The authorized IP addresses configured at components in an IMS network may become out of sync with the authorized IP address provided by a core network to UEs. This may result in emergency communications being received at the IMS network from a UE using a core network-authorized address that is not recognized by the IMS network. An IMS component may be configured to map an unauthorized address from an emergency communications to an authorized address and route the communications within the IMS network using the authorized address. An IMS component may also, or instead, add an unauthorized address from an emergency communications to a listing of authorized addresses so that the communications can be routed normally.
John US PGPub: US 2021/0044633 A1 Feb. 11, 2021.
Systems and methods implement prioritized IP Multimedia System (IMS) registration procedures for Emergency and Priority Service users. A network device in an IMS network, receives, from a user equipment device, a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Register message that includes a priority indication. The network device detects the priority indication in the SIP Register message and provides, based on the priority indication, priority registration for the user equipment device when the network device is in an overloaded condition.
Dahlqvist US PGPub: US 2013/0060954 A1 Mar. 7, 2013.
A method and system for enabling a set up of a service connection from a user equipment (UE) to a priority service is provided. The UE is not registered with an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and the proxy node is a P-CSCF network node in the IMS. The proxy node receives a service request from the UE. The proxy node determines that the UE is not registered with IMS when the UE is not indicated as registered in the proxy node. The proxy node further identifies the service request as a priority service. The proxy node, when the service request has been identified as a priority service request and the UE has been determined to be not registered with the IMS, simulates setup of a terminating service connection to the priority service node by sending a terminating request to an I-CSCF network node included in the IMS.
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/NIMESH PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
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