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 Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities: please indicate in the claim for what NF stands for. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang CN 117715177 A.
As to claim 1, Wang discloses a method for determining location information of a roamer of a visiting mobile communication network (see tittle, abstract), the method comprising:
receiving, at a location NF [H-GMLC or V-GMLC], a request for location information associated with the roamer of the visiting mobile communication network [first core network node sends a positioning request message to the core network node];
requesting, by the location NF, a roaming location identifier [access information/subscription] from a roaming NF [UDM or V-GMLC if location NF is H-GMLC] (if the first core network node is H-GMLC, after receiving the location request message for the first 3GPP access, obtaining the first access information corresponding to the 3GPP access from the UDM);
receiving, at the location NF, the roaming location identifier, wherein the roaming location identifier is associated with a mobility NF (if the first core network node is an H-GMLC, the target capability identifier is provided by the UDM; if the first core network node is the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identifier is provided by the H-GMLC or the first V-GMLC corresponding to the first 3GPP access; if the first core network node is the first LMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identification is provided by the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access.); and
requesting, by the location NF, the location information from the mobility NF associated with the roaming location identifier (and after receiving the target capability identifier, sending a location request to the first V-GMLC, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier; The first V-GMLC sends a location request to the first AMF, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier.). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claims 2-3, and 11-12, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, using the roaming location identifier (if the first core network node is an H-GMLC, the target capability identifier is provided by the UDM). Wang does not explicitly disclose the intended use of a tracking area nor an identity of the mobility NF. However, it would be obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art to use an identifier to identify the desired item since it is going to achieve the same predictable result of identifying. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to identify the desired item since they will still be doing the same predictable result of identifying the item; thereby, allowing communication with the item and/or finding the item.
As to claim 4, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the location NF is a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) (if the first core network node is H-GMLC, after receiving the location request message for the first 3GPP access, obtaining the first access information corresponding to the 3GPP access from the UDM). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 5 and 16, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the roaming NF is a roaming orchestrator [for examination purposes any devices dealing with roaming is a roaming orchestrator] (sending a location request (for a roaming scenario) to the first V-GMLC, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier; The first V-GMLC sends a location request to the first AMF, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier. the first AMF sends a location determining request to the first LMF). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claims 6, 8, 17 and 19, Wang does not explicitly recite MME, S8HR or E-SMLC. However, OFICIAL NOTICE IS TAKEN THAT MME and E-SMLC are common and well-known devices in communication networks, and S8HR is a common and well-known communication protocol. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use common and well-known devices and protocols for the simple purpose of compatibility with the existing standards and protocols.
As to claim 7, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the mobility NF is an access and mobility function (AMF) [if the first core network node is the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access]. Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 9, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the request for the location information associated with the roamer of the visiting mobile communication network is requested [receiving the location request message]. Wang does not disclose by a law enforcement agency (LEA), but the limitation does not change the request in any meaningful way. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills before the effective filing date of the claimed invention in the art that the request will still be doing the same predictable result of requesting location independently from who requested the information.
As to claim 10, Wang discloses a method for determining location information of a roamer of a visiting mobile communication network of a mobile communication network, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first location NF, a request for location information associated with the roamer of the visiting mobile communication network [first core network node sends a positioning request message to the core network node];
requesting, by the first location NF, a roaming location identifier from a roaming NF [UDM or V-GMLC if location NF is H-GMLC] (if the first core network node is H-GMLC, after receiving the location request message for the first 3GPP access, obtaining the first access information corresponding to the 3GPP access from the UDM);
communicating, by the roaming NF, the roaming location identifier to the first location NF, wherein the roaming location identifier is associated with a mobility NF (if the first core network node is H-GMLC, after receiving the location request message for the first 3GPP access, obtaining the first access information corresponding to the 3GPP access from the UDM); and
requesting, by the first location NF, the location information from the mobility NF associated with the roaming location identifier (and after receiving the target capability identifier, sending a location request to the first V-GMLC, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier; The first V-GMLC sends a location request to the first AMF, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier.). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 13, Wang discloses the method of claim 10, further comprising: requesting, by the mobility NF, the location information from a second location NF; receiving, by the mobility NF, the location information from the second location NF; and communicating, by the mobility NF, the location information to the first location NF [after receiving the location request message, the H-GMLC obtains the terminal capability from the UDM to which the terminal belongs; after receiving the target capability identifier, sending a location request (for a roaming scenario) to the first V-GMLC, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier; The first V-GMLC sends a location request to the first AMF, wherein the location request carries the target capability identifier. the first AMF sends a location determining request to the first LMF, and the first LMF sends a subscription request message to the first AMF; step 5: If there is a roaming scenario, the H-GMLC sends the location request to the V-GMLC1 where the user roams, and can use the GMLC's service Ngmlc Location ProvideLocation Request.]. Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 14, Wang discloses the method of claim 13, wherein the request for the location information associated with the roamer of the visiting mobile communication network is a mobile-terminated location (MTL) [request the wireless terminal device may be a mobile terminal device].
As to claim 15, Wang discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the first location NF is a gateway mobile location center (GMLC) (if the first core network node is H-GMLC, after receiving the location request message for the first 3GPP access, obtaining the first access information corresponding to the 3GPP access from the UDM). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 18, Wang discloses the method of claim 16, wherein the mobility NF is an access and mobility management function (AMF) [if the first core network node is the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access]. Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
As to claim 20, Wang discloses a system for exchanging information between a location NF and a roaming NF, the system comprising: one or more computer processing components configured to execute operations comprising:
requesting, by the location NF, the information from the roaming NF (if the first core network node is an H-GMLC, the target capability identifier is provided by the UDM; if the first core network node is the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identifier is provided by the H-GMLC or the first V-GMLC corresponding to the first 3GPP access; if the first core network node is the first LMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identification is provided by the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access.);; and
receiving, by the location NF, the information from the roaming NF (if the first core network node is an H-GMLC, the target capability identifier is provided by the UDM; if the first core network node is the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identifier is provided by the H-GMLC or the first V-GMLC corresponding to the first 3GPP access; if the first core network node is the first LMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access, the target capability identification is provided by the first AMF corresponding to the first 3GPP access.). Wang does not disclose as NF’s; however, it is obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art that wang devices are equivalents. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to name the components as desired since they will still be doing the same predictable result of communicating the desired information independently from its particular name.
Conclusion
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MARCOS L. TORRES
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2647
/MARCOS L TORRES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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