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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3,6, 7, 12, 15, and 16 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.
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(s) 1-2, 4-5, 8-11, 13-14, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ping (US pg. no. 20230148302), further in view of Hu (US pg. no. 20230362057).
Regarding claim 1. Ping discloses a method, applied to a network slice management function provision entity(fig. 8 NSP 830), wherein the method comprises:
receiving a network slice instance allocation request message from a network slice management function consumption entity ([0125] At 801, the NSC 820 (network slice management function consumption entity) asks a NSP 830 to allocate a resource for a network slice (network slice instance allocation), wherein the input parameters include e.g. ServiceProfile, one or more IsolationProfileNS),
wherein the network slice instance allocation request message requests the network slice management function provision entity to allocate a network slice instance to a target service([0125] At 801, the NSC 820 (network slice management function consumption entity) asks a NSP 830 (network slice management function provision entity) to allocate a resource for a network slice (network slice instance allocation), wherein the input parameters include e.g. ServiceProfile, one or more IsolationProfileNS…[0126] At 803, the NSP 830 breaks down the Network Slice request to one or more NSS requests according to the service profile and one or more IsolationGroups…[0127] discloses At 812, the NSP 830 allocates resources for management data and services for the network slice based on related IsolationProfile(s) of the Management Resource of the network slice. At 813, the NSP 830 sends a response, including Committed Service Instance, IsolationGroup(s), etc., to the NSC 820), and
the network slice instance allocation request message comprises resource isolation-sharing demand information ([0125] At 801, the NSC 820 asks a NSP 830 to allocate a resource for a network slice (network slice instance allocation request for instantiating slice), wherein…as an input parameter, the NSC can include one or more IsolationGroup(s) (resource isolation-sharing demand information)) of the target service for describing a resource isolation-sharing relationship between the target service and another service communication (fig. 3 discloses different isolation groups (IGs) for different services such as SST-uRLLC, SST-eMBB in differing IG 320 and 330 of corresponding slices; [0138-0140] assigning or creating one or more isolation groups for at least one service, wherein resources (slices) of services (target service) assigned in an isolation group are shared with or without isolation; [0139] The method may further include wherein the isolation group is defined based on a type of the at least one resource, and characteristics of services supported by the at least one resource. [0140] The method may further include wherein resources allocated to service are physically or logically isolated from resources of other services assigned in different isolation groups, based on the isolation profile; [0125] discloses At 801, the NSC 820 asks a NSP 830 to allocate a resource for a network slice (network slice instance allocation request for instantiating slice), wherein…as an input parameter, the NSC can include one or more IsolationGroup(s) created before the request; fig. 6 and [0079-0081] discloses At 602, the method includes receiving a service allocation request (network slice instance allocation request for a service). At 604, the method includes extracting and interpreting one or more isolation groups from the request (isolation group is defined based on a type of the at least one resource, and characteristics of services supported by the at least one resource. See [0140])…[0080] At 624, the method includes validating one or more isolation groups. At 626, the method includes determining whether the one or more isolation groups are valid. If the determination at 626 is positive (e.g., “yes”), then the method proceeds to reference number 630. At 630, the method includes allocating or reallocating a resource for the service. At 632, the method includes getting an isolation group of a resource type requested for the service. At 634, the method includes determining whether a resource of the same Isolation Group (original IG of the resource type) exists where the service in the isolation group that exits correspond to the other services the target (requesting service) can share slice (resource). If the determination at 634 is positive (e.g., “yes”), then the method proceeds with allocation of the resource to the service (648).) ;
allocating, based on the network slice instance allocation request message, a target network slice instance to the target service, wherein the target network slice instance is an existing network slice instance that satisfies the resource isolation-sharing demand information of the target service ([0138-0140] assigning or creating one or more isolation groups for at least one service, wherein resources (slices) of services (target service) assigned in an isolation group are shared without isolation; [0139] The method may further include wherein the isolation group is defined based on a type of the at least one resource, and characteristics of services supported by the at least one resource. [0140] The method may further include wherein resources allocated to service are physically or logically isolated from resources of other services assigned in different isolation groups, based on the isolation profile. [0079-0081] discloses At 602, the method includes receiving a service allocation request (network slice instance allocation request). At 604, the method includes extracting and interpreting one or more isolation groups (isolation group of a service) from the request…[0080] At 624, the method includes validating one or more isolation groups. At 626, the method includes determining whether the one or more isolation groups are valid. If the determination at 626 is positive (e.g., “yes”), then the method proceeds to reference number 630 of the workflow/method 600-2 shown in FIG. 6B; [0081] In FIG. 6B, a service request is fulfilled (629) with an isolated resource. At 630, the method includes allocating or reallocating a resource for the service. At 632, the method includes getting an isolation group of a resource type requested for the service. At 634, the method includes determining whether a resource of the same Isolation Group (original IG of the resource type) exists. If the determination at 634 is positive (e.g., “yes”), then the method proceeds with allocation of the resource to the service (648),
sending information about the target network slice instance to the network slice management function consumption entity (fig. 8, 813).
But, Ping does not discloses slice resource isolation-sharing relationship between the target application and the other application;
However, in the same field of endeavor Hu discloses slice resource isolation-sharing relationship between the target application and the other application ([0052] The isolation management function 122 may also map 214 an application type to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles. The slice profile may include extended information elements (IEs) or attributes to indicate more granular slice and service type (SST), in addition to general SST including eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC. For example, the slice profile may include application level information such as utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity), gaming, finance, autonomous driving (different types of applications), etc. Then, the isolation management function 122 may map an application (target application) to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles (comprises other applications). It would benefit support of fine-grained isolation policy, for example utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity) data (applications) grouped and forwarded together (configured to share slice resource), gaming data (application) forbidden to be forwarded together with financial data (other application), or the like).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention was effectively filed to combine the teaching of Ping with Hu. The modification would allow fine-grained resource isolation for different applications. The modification would allow isolation management function mapping an application type to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles to enable and enforce a fine-grained isolation policy.
Regarding claim 2. The combination discloses method according to claim 1.
Hu discloses, wherein the resource isolation-sharing demand information of the target communication application indicates:
communication applications with which the target communication application can share a resource; and communication applications with which the target communication application cannot share the resource ([0052] The isolation management function 122 may also map 214 an application type to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles. The slice profile may include extended information elements (IEs) or attributes to indicate more granular slice and service type (SST), in addition to general SST including eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC. For example, the slice profile may include application level information such as utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity), gaming, finance, autonomous driving (different types of applications), etc. Then, the isolation management function 122 may map an application (target application) to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles (comprises other applications). It would benefit support of fine-grained isolation policy, for example utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity) data (applications) grouped and forwarded together (configured to share slice resource), gaming data (application) forbidden to be forwarded together with financial data (other application), or the like).
Regarding claim 4. The combination discloses method according to claim 3.
Hu discloses, wherein at least one of the following is satisfied: a target network slice instance is capable of being shared between the target communication application and a first communication application set but is incapable of being shared between the target communication application and a second communication application set (([0052] The isolation management function 122 may also map 214 an application type to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles. The slice profile may include extended information elements (IEs) or attributes to indicate more granular slice and service type (SST), in addition to general SST including eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC. For example, the slice profile may include application level information such as utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity), gaming, finance, autonomous driving (different types of applications), etc. Then, the isolation management function 122 may map an application (target application) to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles (comprises other applications). It would benefit support of fine-grained isolation policy, for example utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity) data (applications) grouped and forwarded together (configured to share slice resource), gaming data (application) forbidden to be forwarded together with financial data (other application), or the like (need isolated slice resource));
Regarding claim 5. The method according to claim 1.
Ping discloses, further comprising: sending a network slice subnet instance allocation request message corresponding to the target service to a network slice subnet management service (NSSMS) provision entity ([0130] At 904, the NSP 1020 asks NSSPRAN 930 (NSSMS provision entity) to allocate RAN NSS for the Network Slice, wherein the input parameters include e.g. S-NSSAI, SliceProfileRAN, IsolationGroup(s), etc.),
wherein the network slice subnet instance allocation request message requests the NSSMS provision entity to allocate the network slice subnet instance to the target service ([0130] At 904, the NSP 1020 asks NSSPRAN 930 (NSSMS provision entity) to allocate RAN NSS for the Network Slice, wherein the input parameters include e.g. S-NSSAI, SliceProfileRAN, IsolationGroup(s), etc.).
Hu discloses slice resource isolation-sharing relationship between the target application and the other application ([0052] The isolation management function 122 may also map 214 an application type to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles. The slice profile may include extended information elements (IEs) or attributes to indicate more granular slice and service type (SST), in addition to general SST including eMBB, uRLLC and mMTC. For example, the slice profile may include application level information such as utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity), gaming, finance, autonomous driving (different types of applications), etc. Then, the isolation management function 122 may map an application (target application) to the slice profile or the NSS slice profiles (comprises other applications). It would benefit support of fine-grained isolation policy, for example utilities (e.g., gas, water, and electricity) data (applications) grouped and forwarded together (configured to share slice resource), gaming data (application) forbidden to be forwarded together with financial data (other application), or the like).
Regarding claim 8. The method according to claim 1.
Ping discloses, wherein the information about the target network slice instance is an identifier of the target network slice instance ([0127] discloses At 811, the NSP 830 creates a network slice and committed service instance for the Network Slice and associates the one or more IsolationGroup(s) to the committed service instance, and associates the committed service instance to the NSI. At 812, the NSP 830 allocates resources for management data and services for the network slice based on related IsolationProfile(s) of the Management Resource of the network slice. At 813, the NSP 830 sends a response, including Committed Service Instance, IsolationGroup(s), etc., to the NSC 820).
Regarding claim 9, The combination discloses method according to claim 1.
Ping discloses, wherein the network slice management function provision entity is a network slice management service (NSMS) provision entity (fig. 8, 830 NSP; [0024] The apparatus 100 may be configured to implement the functions of a Network Slice Management Function/Provider (NSMF/NSP)).
Regarding claims 10, 11, 13, 14, and 17-18 are rejected based on the analysis and rejections of corresponding claims 1, 2, 4, 5, and 8-9 respectively.
Regarding claims 19, and 20 are rejected based on the analysis and rejections of claims 1, and 2 respectively.
Conclusion
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MESSERET F. GEBRE
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2445
/MESSERET F GEBRE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445
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