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 § 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.
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.
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by WON, US 2021/0321356 A1 (Won hereinafter).
Here is how the reference teaches the claims.
Regarding claim 10, Won discloses a method (Won, abstract, A method, apparatus, and computer program product provide enhanced emergency services fallback procedures), wherein the method comprises:
receiving, by an access network device, an emergency fallback request (Won, Fig. 5 and paragraph [0074], a registration request is sent from the UE 102, by way of RAN 104, to the AMF 108 as 514 illustrates. The registration request includes an indication of the emergency services fallback type that is requested (i.e., an access network device such as a RAN receives a registration request comprising and indication of an emergency service fallback requested by the UE)); and
sending, by the access network device, a first message to a terminal device in response to the emergency fallback request (Won, paragraph [0079], Upon receipt of the registration request for emergency services fallback the AMF 108 of this example embodiment determines that the registration is accepted at block 613b and sends an access stratum (AS) indication response to the UE 102 as shown at 614b (i.e., the network access device sends a response/first message to the UE upon receipt and acceptance of the emergency services fallback request from the UE)), wherein:
the first message comprises second indication information (Won, paragraph [0088], As shown in block 911, apparatus 200 of this example embodiment incudes means, such as the processor 202, the memory 204, the communication interface 206 or the like, for determining a response (i.e., the first message) to the registration request including the emergency services fallback request. The response comprises an acceptance (i.e., second indication) or a denial of the emergency services fallback request (i.e., the first message comprising second indication information), such as described by the examples provided above. Also see paragraph [0009], a method is provided wherein determining the response to the registration request comprises determining that the emergency services fallback request has been accepted (i.e., the second indication information) in an instance in which a mode has changed or a connection has been established with a network); or
the first message comprises no second indication information,
wherein the second indication information indicates voice fallback (Won, paragraph [0012], method is provided wherein the response to the registration request defines an acceptance of the emergency services fallback request (i.e., second indication information indicates a voice fallback)).
Regarding claim 11, Won discloses wherein the first message is one of the following:
a mobility from new radio (NR) command message, a mobility from evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) command message, a radio resource control (RRC) release message, or
a RRC reconfiguration message (Won, paragraph [0074], a registration request is sent from the UE 102, by way of RAN 104, to the AMF 108, as 514 illustrates. The registration request includes an indication of the emergency services fall back type that is requested In an embodiment in which the UE 102 determines that a handover procedure is required, such as to support the emergency session, the UE 102 can initiate the handover procedure is accordance with an Inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) handover or a Radio Resource Control (RRC) redirection to a 5GC-connected E-UTRA handover, see block 516a. The handover procedure is determined in this example embodiment based on measurements (e.g., distance, signal strength, etc.) taken by the UE 102 in reference to network access nodes (e.g., RAN, cell, 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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 7-8, 12 and 14-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHU et al., US 2020/0245195 A1 (Zhu hereinafter), in view of Wu, US 2011/0105074 A1 (Wu hereinafter).
Here is how the references teach the claims.
Regarding claim 1, Zhu discloses a method, wherein the method (Zhu, paragraph [0007], One innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE)) comprises:
receiving, by a terminal device, a first message from an access network device (Zhu, paragraph [0063], As further shown in FIG. 3, and by reference number 304, to initiate the 5G NR voice fallback, BS 110a may transmit a command of mobility to UE 120 (i.e., receiving first message by the terminal device from an access network)), wherein the first message indicates the terminal device to perform handover to a target cell or to perform redirection to a target frequency (Zhu, In some aspects, when the command of mobility is transmitted to UE 120, the command of mobility may include a handover communication (i.e., command of mobility/first message indicates the UE to perform handover toa target cell) or a redirection communication. Also see paragraph [0072], Accordingly, BS 110a may initiate a 5G NR voice fallback procedure, which may include a handover or redirection of UE 120 to BS 110b. During the 5G NR voice fallback procedure, BS 110a may transmit, to UE 120 and BS 110b, a command of mobility, which may include an indication that the command of mobility is for 5G NR voice fallback to another RAT that supports voice calls);
determining, by the terminal device, that emergency services fallback needs to be performed (Zhu, paragraph [0055], UE 120 may include means for receiving, from a first BS 110 associated with a 5G NR RAT, a command of mobility from the 5G NR RAT to a second RAT, means for determining that the command of mobility is for voice fall back (i.e., the UE receives a command of mobility/second indication information and determines that the voice fallbacks need to be performed), means for transmitting, to a second BS 110 associated with the second RAT and based at least in part on determining that the command of mobility is for voice fallback, an RRC connection request communication for attempting to communicatively connect with the second BS 110 for voice fallback), or that the first message comprises second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates voice fallback;
Regarding claim 12, Zhu discloses an apparatus (Zhu, abstract, This disclosure provides systems, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable medium for wireless communication), comprising at least one processor and one or more memories (Zhu, paragraph [0013], Another innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented in a UE for wireless communication. The UE may include memory and one or more processors operatively coupled to the memory), wherein the one or more memories store programing instructions for execution by the at least one processor (Zhu, paragraph [0014], The non-transitory computer-readable medium may store one or more instructions for wireless communication. The one or more instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a UE, may cause the one or more processors to receive, from a first BS associated with a 5G NR RAT, a command of mobility from the 5G NR RAT to a second RAT) to perform:
receiving a first message from an access network device (Zhu, paragraph [0063], As further shown in FIG. 3, and by reference number 304, to initiate the 5G NR voice fallback, BS 110a may transmit a command of mobility to UE 120 (i.e., receiving first message by the terminal device from an access network)), wherein the first message indicates a terminal device to be handed over to a target cell or to be redirected to a target frequency (Zhu, In some aspects, when the command of mobility is transmitted to UE 120, the command of mobility may include a handover communication (i.e., command of mobility/first message indicates the UE to perform handover toa target cell) or a redirection communication. Also see paragraph [0072], Accordingly, BS 110a may initiate a 5G NR voice fallback procedure, which may include a handover or redirection of UE 120 to BS 110b. During the 5G NR voice fallback procedure, BS 110a may transmit, to UE 120 and BS 110b, a command of mobility, which may include an indication that the command of mobility is for 5G NR voice fallback to another RAT that supports voice calls);
determining that emergency services fallback needs to be performed (Zhu, paragraph [0055], UE 120 may include means for receiving, from a first BS 110 associated with a 5G NR RAT, a command of mobility from the 5G NR RAT to a second RAT, means for determining that the command of mobility is for voice fall back (i.e., the UE receives a command of mobility/second indication information and determines that the voice fallbacks need to be performed), means for transmitting, to a second BS 110 associated with the second RAT and based at least in part on determining that the command of mobility is for voice fallback, an RRC connection request communication for attempting to communicatively connect with the second BS 110 for voice fallback), or that the first message comprises second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates voice fallback;
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Zhu does not explicitly disclose and after the handover to the target cell fails or the redirection to the target frequency fails, and the terminal device has an ongoing emergency service, searching, by the terminal device, for an acceptable cell or a suitable cell.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., communication system) Wu discloses a method related to wireless communication system that comprises and after the handover to the target cell fails or the redirection to the target frequency fails (Wu, paragraph [0036], the mobile device has an RRC connection established with an acceptable cell and experiences a failure event ( e.g., a radio link failure, a handover failure, etc.) (i.e., after the handover to the target cell fails), and finds only the acceptable cell or another acceptable cell available for reestablishing the RRC connection with), and the terminal device has an ongoing emergency service (Wu, Fig. 4 and paragraph [0042], FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting an example of a routine 400 performed by the mobile device 104, 106 to establish a new RRC connection once the mobile device detects a failure condition for an existing RRC connection). At a block 405, the mobile device 104, 106 maintains an emergency call (i.e., the terminal device has an ongoing emergency service) via an RRC connection established with an acceptable cell), searching, by the terminal device, for an acceptable cell or a suitable cell (Wu, Fig. 4 and paragraph [0042], At a block 420, the mobile device searches for a cell (acceptable or suitable) to establish a new RRC connection with. At a decision block 425, the mobile device determines whether a cell was found (acceptable or suitable). If no cell was found, the process 400 ends. If a cell was found, at a block 430, the mobile device 104, 106 sends a request to establish an RRC connection with a cell found at block 420).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhu by using the features, as taught by Wu, in order to support reestablishing an RRC connection that was established for an emergency call in an LTE or a UMTS network environment (see Wu, paragraph [0011]).
Regarding claim 3, Zhu discloses wherein the first message is one of the following:
a mobility from new radio (NR) command message, a mobility from evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) command message, a radio resource control (RRC) release message, or a RRC reconfiguration message (Zhu, paragraph [0017], transmitting the command of mobility includes transmitting the command of mobility to at least one of another BS or the UE … the command of mobility is included in at least one of a transparent container included in an S1AP communication transmitted to another BS, an RANAP communication transmitted to the other BS, a HandoverPreparationinformation LTE RRC communication transmitted to the other BS, a MobilityFromNRCommand NR RRC communication transmitted to the UE, a HandoverCommand LTE RRC communication transmitted to the UE, or an RRCRelease NR RRC communication transmitted to the UE, a source RNC to target RNC transparent container, or a UTRAN RRC connection request communication).
Regarding claim 8, Zhu discloses wherein the method further comprises:
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, triggering, by the terminal device, a RRC re-establishment procedure;
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, performing, by the terminal device, RRC re-establishment by using configuration information of a source cell;
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, sending, by an access stratum of the terminal device, fourth indication information to at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the terminal device, wherein the fourth indication information indicates that no acceptable cell or no suitable cell is found; or
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, searching, by the terminal device, for a cell of another standard (Zhu, paragraph [0010], the method includes detecting a failure in the attempt to communicatively connect with the second BS and attempting to communicatively connect with a third BS associated with the second RAT based at least in part on detecting failure in the attempt to communicatively connect with the second BS and based at least in part on receiving the command of mobility. In some aspects, the first BS and the second BS are a same BS, the 5G NR RAT is associated with a first cell of the same BS, and where the second RAT is associated with a second cell of the same BS. In some aspects, the first BS and the second BS are different BSs, the 5G NR RAT is associated with a cell of the first BS, and the second RAT is associated with a cell of the second BS. Alos see paragraph [0008], In some aspects, the second RAT includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT or a third generation (3G) RAT (i.e., first and second BSs belongs to cell of different standard)).
Regarding claim 14, Zhu discloses wherein the first message is one of the following: a mobility from new radio (NR) command message, a mobility from evolved universal terrestrial radio access (E-UTRA) command message, a radio resource control (RRC) release message, or a RRC reconfiguration message (Zhu, paragraph [0017], transmitting the command of mobility includes transmitting the command of mobility to at least one of another BS or the UE … the command of mobility is included in at least one of a transparent container included in an S1AP communication transmitted to another BS, an RANAP communication transmitted to the other BS, a HandoverPreparationinformation LTE RRC communication transmitted to the other BS, a MobilityFromNRCommand NR RRC communication transmitted to the UE, a HandoverCommand LTE RRC communication transmitted to the UE, or an RRCRelease NR RRC communication transmitted to the UE, a source RNC to target RNC transparent container, or a UTRAN RRC connection request communication).
Regarding claim 16, Zhu discloses wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform:
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, triggering a RRC re-establishment procedure;
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, performing RRC re-establishment by using configuration information of a source cell;
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, sending a fourth indication information to at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the terminal device, wherein the fourth indication information indicates that no acceptable cell or no suitable cell is found; or
after finding no acceptable cell or no suitable cell, searching for a cell of another standard (Zhu, paragraph [0010], the method includes detecting a failure in the attempt to communicatively connect with the second BS and attempting to communicatively connect with a third BS associated with the second RAT based at least in part on detecting failure in the attempt to communicatively connect with the second BS and based at least in part on receiving the command of mobility. In some aspects, the first BS and the second BS are a same BS, the 5G NR RAT is associated with a first cell of the same BS, and where the second RAT is associated with a second cell of the same BS. In some aspects, the first BS and the second BS are different BSs, the 5G NR RAT is associated with a cell of the first BS, and the second RAT is associated with a cell of the second BS. Alos see paragraph [0008], In some aspects, the second RAT includes a Long Term Evolution (LTE) RAT or a third generation (3G) RAT (i.e., first and second BSs belongs to cell of different standard)).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Zhu does not explicitly disclose the following features.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following:
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, entering, by the terminal device, a radio resource control idle (RRC_IDLE) state; or
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, performing, by the terminal device, the emergency service in the acceptable cell or the suitable cell.
Regarding claim 15, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform at least one of the following:
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, entering a radio resource control idle (RRC_IDLE) state; or
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, performing the emergency service in the acceptable cell or the suitable cell.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., communication system) Wu discloses a method related to wireless communication system that comprises the following features.
Regarding claim 7, wherein the method further comprises at least one of the following:
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, entering, by the terminal device, a radio resource control idle (RRC_IDLE) state (Wu, paragraph [0044], the mobile device determines whether a cell was found that belongs to a PLMN that the original cell also belongs to. If no such cell was found, at a decision block 525, the mobile device determines whether a suitable cell was found that does not belong to a PLMN that the original cell belongs to. If such a cell was found, at a block 530, the mobile device enters an RRC_IDLE mode and subsequently sends a request to the suitable cell to establish an RRC connection with the cell, which is then established with the cell. Also see paragraph [0045], cell may send signals to the mobile device indicating its ability to support emergency calls, and the mobile device selects the cell at least in part because it supports emergency calls); or
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, performing, by the terminal device, the emergency service in the acceptable cell or the suitable cell.
Regarding claim 15, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform at least one of the following:
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, entering a radio resource control idle (RRC_IDLE) state (Wu, paragraph [0044], the mobile device determines whether a cell was found that belongs to a PLMN that the original cell also belongs to. If no such cell was found, at a decision block 525, the mobile device determines whether a suitable cell was found that does not belong to a PLMN that the original cell belongs to. If such a cell was found, at a block 530, the mobile device enters an RRC_IDLE mode and subsequently sends a request to the suitable cell to establish an RRC connection with the cell, which is then established with the cell. Also see paragraph [0045], cell may send signals to the mobile device indicating its ability to support emergency calls, and the mobile device selects the cell at least in part because it supports emergency calls); or
after determining that the acceptable cell or the suitable cell that is found is a cell supporting an emergency service, performing the emergency service in the acceptable cell or the suitable cell.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhu by using the features, as taught by Wu, in order to support reestablishing an RRC connection that was established for an emergency call in an LTE or a UMTS network environment (see Wu, paragraph [0011]).
Claim(s) 2 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHU et al., US 2020/0245195 A1 (Zhu hereinafter), in view of Wu, US 2011/0105074 A1 (Wu hereinafter), as applied to the claims above and further in view of Bakker et al., US 2021/0136634 A1 (Bakker hereinafter).
Here is how the references teach the claims.
Regarding claims 2 and 13, Zhu and Wu disclose the method according to claim 1 and the apparatus according to claim 12.
Zhu further discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 2, wherein when the terminal device determines that the emergency services fallback needs to be performed (Zhu, paragraph [0055], UE 120 may include means for receiving, from a first BS 110 associated with a 5G NR RAT, a command of mobility from the 5G NR RAT to a second RAT, means for determining that the command of mobility is for voice fall back (i.e., the UE receives a command of mobility/second indication information and determines that the voice fallbacks need to be performed), means for transmitting, to a second BS 110 associated with the second RAT and based at least in part on determining that the command of mobility is for voice fallback, an RRC connection request communication for attempting to communicatively connect with the second BS 110 for voice fallback),
Regarding claim 13, wherein when the terminal device determines that the emergency services fallback needs to be performed (Zhu, paragraph [0055], UE 120 may include means for receiving, from a first BS 110 associated with a 5G NR RAT, a command of mobility from the 5G NR RAT to a second RAT, means for determining that the command of mobility is for voice fall back (i.e., the UE receives a command of mobility/second indication information and determines that the voice fallbacks need to be performed), means for transmitting, to a second BS 110 associated with the second RAT and based at least in part on determining that the command of mobility is for voice fallback, an RRC connection request communication for attempting to communicatively connect with the second BS 110 for voice fallback),
Zhu and Wu do not explicitly disclose the following features.
Regarding claim 2, the first message comprises no second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates the voice fallback.
Regarding claim 13, the first message comprises no second indication information, wherein the second indication information indicates the voice fallback.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., communication system) Bakker discloses a method related to mobile communication systems that comprises the following features.
Regarding claim 2, the first message (Bakker, paragraph [0088], a first network element performs the NAS registration in response to receiving a registration request from the UE (i.e., a first message). During the NAS registration, the first network element receives from the UE indication of UE's support for 4G SRVCC (if the first network element is an AMF) or 5G SRVCC (if the first network element is an MME)) comprises no second indication information (Bakker, paragraph [0100], In the absence of an indication that the UE (i.e., comprising no second indication information) is capable of performing a combined registration with the EPC network, the network should not indicate support for system fallback for emergency services or access fallback for emergency services even if the network supports the emergency service via the CS domain, as this will delay the emergency call setup while there may be a life and death situation), wherein the second indication information indicates the voice fallback (Bakker, paragraph [0103], The UE indicates, using a first indication, support for performing combined registration procedures with an EPC network during the NAS registration. The AMF, which is part of the 5G core network, indicates, using a second indication and during the NAS registration, support for emergency service fallback based on the first indication that the UE supports performing combined registration procedures with the EPC network).
Regarding claim 13, the first message (Bakker, paragraph [0088], a first network element performs the NAS registration in response to receiving a registration request from the UE (i.e., a first message). During the NAS registration, the first network element receives from the UE indication of UE's support for 4G SRVCC (if the first network element is an AMF) or 5G SRVCC (if the first network element is an MME)) comprises no second indication information (Bakker, paragraph [0100], In the absence of an indication that the UE (i.e., comprising no second indication information) is capable of performing a combined registration with the EPC network, the network should not indicate support for system fallback for emergency services or access fallback for emergency services even if the network supports the emergency service via the CS domain, as this will delay the emergency call setup while there may be a life and death situation), wherein the second indication information indicates the voice fallback (Bakker, paragraph [0103], The UE indicates, using a first indication, support for performing combined registration procedures with an EPC network during the NAS registration. The AMF, which is part of the 5G core network, indicates, using a second indication and during the NAS registration, support for emergency service fallback based on the first indication that the UE supports performing combined registration procedures with the EPC network).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhu and Wu by using the features, as taught by Bakker, in order to provide techniques for transferring sessions between different types of mobile communication systems (see Bakker, abstract and paragraph [0002]).
Claim(s) 4-5, 9 and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHU et al., US 2020/0245195 A1 (Zhu hereinafter), in view of Wu, US 2011/0105074 A1 (Wu hereinafter), as applied to the claims above and further in view of WON, US 2021/0321356 A1 (Won hereinafter).
Here is how the references teach the claims.
Regarding claims 4-5, 9 and 17-19, Zhu and Wu disclose the method according to claim 1 and the apparatus according to claim 12.
Zhu and Wu do not explicitly disclose the following features.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:
initiating, by the terminal device, the emergency services fallback; or
initiating, by the terminal device, the emergency services fallback before receiving the first message.
Regarding claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by an access stratum of the terminal device, third indication information from at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the terminal device, wherein the third indication information indicates that the ongoing emergency service exists.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the acceptable cell or the suitable cell is an E-UTRA cell.
Regarding claim 17, wherein the acceptable cell or the suitable cell is an E UTRA cell.
Regarding claim 18, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform: initiating the emergency services fallback; or
initiating the emergency services fallback before receiving the first message.
Regarding claim 19, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform:
receiving, by an access stratum of the apparatus, third indication information from at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the apparatus, wherein the third indication information indicates that the ongoing emergency service exists.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., communication system) Won discloses a method related to wireless communication system that comprises the following features.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the method further comprises:
initiating, by the terminal device, the emergency services fallback; or
initiating, by the terminal device, the emergency services fallback before receiving the first message (Won, paragraph [0073], the UE determines that an emergency session needs to be established, such as based on input from the user of the UE 102 or from upper layers of the UE as shown in 513, the method and apparatus 200 of an example embodiment still provides for the request for and, in at least some instances, the initiation of emergency services fallback procedure).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, by an access stratum of the terminal device, third indication information from at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the terminal device (Won, abstract, Upon receiving the registration request message the emergency services fall back procedure is triggered. The user equipment receives an indication, such as via an access stratum layer and the received indication (i.e., a third indication) is considered, such as by the non-access stratum layer in the user equipment, as the registration response message), wherein the third indication information indicates that the ongoing emergency service exists (Won, paragraph [0079], the UE 102 starts running a first timer, such as a T3510 timer, as shown in block 611b upon sending a registration request for emergency services fallback to AMF 108 as shown at 612b. Upon receipt of the registration request for emergency services fallback the AMF 108 of this example embodiment determines that the registration is accepted at block 613b and sends an access stratum (AS) indication response to the UE 102 (i.e., Access Stratum indicted sent to the UE indicates that emergency fallback service is active/ongoing and the first timer, which was running, activating the emergency services fallback, need to be stopped) as shown at 614b. Upon receipt of the access stratum (AS) indication response in accordance with this example embodiment, the UE 102 will stop running the first timer as shown at 615b).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the acceptable cell or the suitable cell is an E-UTRA cell (Won, paragraph [0086], in response to a predefined cause value, e.g., #9, indicating that the identity of the UE 102 cannot be derived by the network, the apparatus 200 embodied by the UE, such as the processor 202, the communication interface 206 or the like, may be configured to attempt to select an E-UTRA cell connected to EPC or 5GCN according to the domain priority and selection rules specified in 3GPPTS 23.167).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the acceptable cell or the suitable cell is an E UTRA cell (Won, paragraph [0086], in response to a predefined cause value, e.g., #9, indicating that the identity of the UE 102 cannot be derived by the network, the apparatus 200 embodied by the UE, such as the processor 202, the communication interface 206 or the like, may be configured to attempt to select an E-UTRA cell connected to EPC or 5GCN according to the domain priority and selection rules specified in 3GPPTS 23.167).
Regarding claim 18, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform: initiating the emergency services fallback; or
initiating the emergency services fallback before receiving the first message (Won, paragraph [0073], the UE determines that an emergency session needs to be established, such as based on input from the user of the UE 102 or from upper layers of the UE as shown in 513, the method and apparatus 200 of an example embodiment still provides for the request for and, in at least some instances, the initiation of emergency services fallback procedure).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform:
receiving, by an access stratum of the apparatus, third indication information from at least one of an application layer or a non-access stratum of the apparatus (Won, abstract, Upon receiving the registration request message the emergency services fall back procedure is triggered. The user equipment receives an indication, such as via an access stratum layer and the received indication (i.e., a third indication) is considered, such as by the non-access stratum layer in the user equipment, as the registration response message), wherein the third indication information indicates that the ongoing emergency service exists (Won, paragraph [0079], the UE 102 starts running a first timer, such as a T3510 timer, as shown in block 611b upon sending a registration request for emergency services fallback to AMF 108 as shown at 612b. Upon receipt of the registration request for emergency services fallback the AMF 108 of this example embodiment determines that the registration is accepted at block 613b and sends an access stratum (AS) indication response to the UE 102 (i.e., Access Stratum indicted sent to the UE indicates that emergency fallback service is active/ongoing and the first timer, which was running, activating the emergency services fallback, need to be stopped) as shown at 614b. Upon receipt of the access stratum (AS) indication response in accordance with this example embodiment, the UE 102 will stop running the first timer as shown at 615b).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhu and Wu by using the features, as taught by Won, in order to support method related to expediting the initiation of an emergency services fallback procedure for user equipment across a communication network (see Won, abstract and paragraph [0002]).
Claim(s) 6 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over ZHU et al., US 2020/0245195 A1 (Zhu hereinafter), in view of Wu, US 2011/0105074 A1 (Wu hereinafter), as applied to the claims above and further in view of Bakker, US 2022/0053447 A1 (Bakker’447 hereinafter).
Here is how the references teach the claims.
Regarding claims 6 and 20, Zhu and Wu disclose the method according to claim 1 and the apparatus according to claim 12.
Zhu and Wu do not explicitly disclose the following features.
Regarding claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: querying, by the terminal device, whether the terminal device has the ongoing emergency service; and after finding the ongoing emergency service, determining, by the terminal device, that the ongoing emergency service exists.
Regarding claim 20, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform: querying whether the apparatus has the ongoing emergency service; and
after finding the ongoing emergency service, determining that the ongoing emergency service exists.
In the same field of endeavor (e.g., communication system) Bakker’447 discloses a method related to wireless communication system that comprises the following features.
Regarding claim 6, wherein the method further comprises: querying, by the terminal device, whether the terminal device has the ongoing emergency service (Bakker’447, paragraph [0120], The session management cause value may be one of one or more predefined values and transmitting the second registration request message is in response to the UE (i.e., querying by the terminal device) detecting the session management cause value is set to the one or more predefined values. The indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session may comprise an indication that the connectivity belongs to an ongoing emergency call or ongoing emergency session (i.e., querying by the terminal device whether the terminal device has the ongoing emergency service)); and after finding the ongoing emergency service, determining, by the terminal device, that the ongoing emergency service exists (Bakker’447, paragraph [0120], The method may further include that, the UE, in response to the message comprising the cause code, refrains from transmitting another connectivity request message to the second network, wherein the another connectivity request message includes the indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session. The method may further include that in response to the UE detecting the session management cause value is set to the one of the one or more predefined values, the UE refrains from transmitting another connectivity request message to the second network, wherein the another connectivity request message includes the indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session (i.e., after finding ongoing emergency service, the terminal detects or determined that the emergency ongoing session/service exists)).
Regarding claim 20, wherein the one or more memories store programming instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform: querying whether the apparatus has the ongoing emergency service (Bakker’447, paragraph [0120], The session management cause value may be one of one or more predefined values and transmitting the second registration request message is in response to the UE (i.e., querying by the terminal device) detecting the session management cause value is set to the one of the one or more predefined values. The indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session may comprise an indication that the connectivity belongs to an ongoing emergency call or ongoing emergency session (i.e., querying by the terminal device whether the terminal device has the ongoing emergency service)); and
after finding the ongoing emergency service, determining that the ongoing emergency service exists (Bakker’447, paragraph [0120], The method may further include that, the UE, in response to the message comprising the cause code, refrains from transmitting another connectivity request message to the second network, wherein the another connectivity request message includes the indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session. The method may further include that in response to the UE detecting the session management cause value is set to the one of the one or more predefined values, the UE refrains from transmitting another connectivity request message to the second network, wherein the another connectivity request message includes the indication that the connectivity belongs to the ongoing connection or the ongoing session (i.e., after finding ongoing emergency service, the terminal detects or determined that the emergency ongoing session/service exists)).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Zhu and Wu by using the features, as taught by Bakker’447, in order to support method related to handing over an emergency call between a 5G core network and an EPC network (see Bakker’447, abstract and paragraph [0012]).
Conclusion
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/OBAIDUL HUQ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473 Dated: 09/12/2026
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