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)(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, 2, 4-11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kuchibhotla et al. (US 2024/0259997, corresponding US application for WO 2022/029637, which is listed in the IDS dated 01/27/2025; “Kuchibhotla” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Kuchibhotla teaches a communication control method in a mobile communication system, the communication control method comprising: transmitting, by a radio access network node, a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see [103], [0109-0110]; Fig. 2, step “4b”).
Regarding claim 2, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting (see Figs. 1 and 2), by a core network node to the radio access network node, a second paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from AMF to RAN) associated with the network slice , (see [103], [0109-0110]) wherein the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from RAN to UE) in response to receiving the second paging message.
Regarding claim 4, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising slice information representing the network slice ([0118], [0120], [0124], [0127], [0130]; “Network Slice”).
Regarding claim 5, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting to the radio access network node comprises transmitting, by the core network node to the radio access network node, the second paging message comprising slice information representing the network slice, and the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising the slice information in response to receiving the second paging message (Fig. 2, “4b”; [0118], [0120], [0124], [0127], [0130]; “Network Slice”).
Regarding claim 6, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising designated processing information designating processing to be executed first after the first paging message is received at the user equipment ([0112], [0146], [0153-0156]).
Regarding claim 7, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting, by the core network node to the radio access network node, the second paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from AMF to RAN) comprising designated processing information designating processing to be executed in response to reception of the first paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from RAN to UE) at the user equipment, and the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising the designated processing information in response to receiving the second paging message ([0112], claim 1).
Regarding claim 8, Kuchibhotla further teaches the designated processing information comprises one of a slice-specific cell reselection procedure and an RRC connection establishment procedure, or one of the slice-specific cell reselection procedure and an RRC resume procedure ([0140-0144], RRC reconfiguration).
Regarding claim 9, Kuchibhotla teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising slice support information, and the slice support information comprises information representing a region in which the network slice is supported ([31-32], [0059], [0069], [0071], [0093], [0106], [0114], [0118], [0134]).
Regarding claim 10, Kuchibhotla further teaches transmitting (see Figs. 1 and 2), by a core network node to the radio access network node, a second paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from AMF to RAN) associated with the network slice , (see [103], [0109-0110]) wherein the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message (Fig. 2, “4b” from RAN to UE) in response to receiving the second paging message.
Regarding claim 11, Kuchibhotla teaches a user equipment comprising: a receiver configured to receive a first paging message associated with a network slice from a radio access network node (see [103], [0109-0110]; Fig. 2, “UE” and step “4b”, also Fig. 1 shows a wireless communication for paging management).
Regarding claim 12, Kuchibhotla teaches a radio access network node comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see [103], [0109-0110]; Fig. 2, “RAN” and step “4b”, also Fig. 1 shows a wireless communication for paging management).
Claims 1, 3, 4, 6, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tomala et al. (US 2023/0403745, corresponding US application for WO 2022/083879, which is listed in the IDS dated 01/27/2025; “Tomala” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Tomala teaches a communication control method in a mobile communication system, the communication control method comprising: transmitting, by a radio access network node, a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065], claim 45, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 3, Tomala teaches performing, by the user equipment, predetermined processing in response to receiving the first paging message, wherein the predetermined processing is any of update of a slice priority of the network slice, a slice-specific cell reselection procedure, or a slice-specific random access procedure (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065], claim 45, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 4, Tomala teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising slice information representing the network slice (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065], claim 45, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 6, Tomala teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising designated processing information designating processing to be executed first after the first paging message is received at the user equipment (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065]; “RA priority”, claim 45, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 11, Tomala teaches a user equipment comprising: a receiver configured to receive a first paging message associated with a network slice from a radio access network node (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065]; “UE”, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 12, Tomala teaches a radio access network node comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see Abstract, [0039], [0049], [0053], [0055-0056], [0064-0065]; “gNB”, also see Figs 4 and 5).
Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sivavakeesar et al. (US 2021/0068073, listed in the IDS dated 01/27/2025; “Sivavakeesar” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Sivavakeesar teaches a communication control method in a mobile communication system, the communication control method comprising: transmitting, by a radio access network node, a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 2, Sivavakeesar further teaches transmitting , by a core network node to the radio access network node, a second paging message associated with the network slice, wherein the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message in response to receiving the second paging message (see Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 3, Sivavakeesar teaches performing, by the user equipment, predetermined processing in response to receiving the first paging message, wherein the predetermined processing is any of update of a slice priority of the network slice, a slice-specific cell reselection procedure, or a slice-specific random access procedure (see Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 4, Sivavakeesar further teaches transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising slice information representing the network slice see (Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9; “network slice information”).
Regarding claim 5, Sivavakeesar further teaches transmitting to the radio access network node comprises transmitting, by the core network node to the radio access network node, the second paging message comprising slice information representing the network slice, and the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising the slice information in response to receiving the second paging message (Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 6, Sivavakeesar further teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising designated processing information designating processing to be executed first after the first paging message is received at the user equipment (see Abstract, [0011], [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 7, Sivavakeesar further teaches transmitting, by the core network node to the radio access network node, the second paging message comprising designated processing information designating processing to be executed in response to reception of the first paging message at the user equipment, and the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising the designated processing information in response to receiving the second paging message (see Abstract, [0011], [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Sivavakeesar further teaches the designated processing information comprises one of a slice-specific cell reselection procedure and an RRC connection establishment procedure, or one of the slice-specific cell reselection procedure and an RRC resume procedure (see Abstract, [0011], [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 9, Sivavakeesar teaches transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising slice support information, and the slice support information comprises information representing a region in which the network slice is supported (Fig. 9, [0051], [0139-0142]; Shortened network slice ID used to distinguish slices supported by the UE).
Regarding claim 10, Sivavakeesar teaches transmitting, by the core network node to the radio access network node, a second paging message comprising the slice support information, and the transmitting to the user equipment comprises transmitting, by the radio access network node to the user equipment, the first paging message comprising the slice support information in response to receiving the second paging message (see Abstract, [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9).
Regarding claim 11, Sivavakeesar teaches a user equipment comprising: a receiver configured to receive a first paging message associated with a network slice from a radio access network node (see Abstract, [0011], [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9, “UE”).
Regarding claim 12, Sivavakeesar teaches a radio access network node comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a first paging message associated with a network slice to a user equipment (see Abstract, [0011], [0091-0092], [0110-0113], [0125-0128], also see Fig. 9; “gNB”).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuchibhotla et al. (US 2024/0259997) in view of Tomala et al. (US 2023/0403745).
Kuchibhotla teaches all limitations as explained in the rejection applied to claim 1 above, except the predetermined processing is any of update of a slice priority of the network slice, a slice-specific cell reselection procedure, or a slice-specific random-access procedure.
Tomala teaches using ransom access (RA) priority in a random-access procedure after receiving the paging message (abstract). Tomala also teaches enabling UE fast access to the cell supporting the intended slice including slice- based cell reselection under network control on the basis of RA priority ([0039-40]. Therefore, it would be obvious for a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to make the UE to perform any of update of a slice priority of the network slice, a slice-specific cell reselection procedure, or a slice-specific random-access procedure, so as to fast access to the cell supporting the intended slice.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Chieh M Fan whose telephone number is (571)272-3042. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-3:00 M-F.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHIEH M FAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2632
Prosecution Insights