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 .
Status of Claims
This action is responsive to the application filed on February 11, 2025. Claims 1-13 were presented, and are pending examination.
Drawings
The drawings filed on February 11, 2025 are accepted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation " the packet header handling information set" in lines 12-13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Dependent claims 5-10 inherit the same deficiency.
Examiner’s Note about the Format of 35 U.S.C. 102/103 Rejections
Generally, limitations of a claim are reproduced identically and followed by examiner’s explanation with citation from prior art in Italic enclosed by a parenthesis, (), for each limitation. In examiner’s explanation, the mapping of the key elements of a limitation to the disclosed elements of prior art is shown by stating the disclosed element immediately followed by the claimed element inside a parenthesis. Specific quotation from prior art is delineated with quotation mark, ““. If primary art fails to teach a limitation or part of the limitation, the limitation or the part of the limitation is placed inside double square brackets, [[ ]], for better understandability, and appropriate secondary art(s) is/are applied later addressing the deficiency of the primary art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-3 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moon et al. (US PGPUB No. US 20250193738 A1), hereinafter, Moon, in view of Ville et al. (UK Patent Document No. GB 2637146 A), hereinafter, Ville.
Regarding claim 1:
Moon teaches:
An operation method for providing packet header handling information in a 5G system in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
registering, by a user plane function (UPF) having a packet header handling function, [[a packet header handling feature (PHHL)]] in a network repository function (NRF) through a service based interface (SBI) (Fig. 2, step S210, shows registering, by a UPF, information related to the UPF in NRF as explained in paragraph 0110. Paragraph 0056 discloses UPF uses N4 SBI); and
searching, by a network function (NF), for the UPF containing the packet header handling feature (PHHL) in the NRF through the SBI (Fig. 3, step S310, discloses searching, by a NF service consumer (NF), for UPF for selection of a UPF as explained in paragraph 0126).
Moon does not teach a packet header handling feature (PHHL).
Ville teaches a packet header handling feature (PHHL) (paragraph 033 disclose header handling functionality of a UPF).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Moon to incorporate the teaching of Ville about header handling functionality of a UPF. Such modification would enable Moon’s UPF to register information about the UPF including the header handling functionality. One would be motivated to do that to add new service to the UPF for better routing and forwarding etc. (see paragraphs 0002 and 0033 of Ville).
As to claim 2, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated. Moon in view of Ville teach all the limitations of claim 1 as shown above.
Moon further teaches wherein the SBI used when the UPF having the packet header handling function registers the packet header handling feature (PHHL) in the NRF is at least one of a Nnrf_NFManagement_Register Request, or a Nnrf_NFManagement_Update Request service, where at least one of a Nnrf_NFManagement_Register Request, or a Nnrf_NFManagement_Update Request service is composed of supportedPfcpFeatures and the supportedPfcpFeatures is composed of the packet header handling feature (PHHL) (Fig. 2, step S210, shows the request is ANnrf_NFManagement_Register request comprising PFCP features).
As to claim 3, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated. Moon in view of Ville teach all the limitations of claim 1 as shown above.
Moon further teaches wherein the SBI used when the network function (NF) searches for the UPF containing the packet header handling feature (PHHL) in the NRF through the SBI is a Nnrf_NFDiscovery_NFDiscover service, wherein the Nnrf_NFDiscovery_NFDiscover service is composed of query parameters, and the query parameters are composed of the packet header handling feature (PHHL) which is an UP function feature (Fig. 3, step S310, shows Nnrf_NFDiscovery_Request comprising various parameters including supported UPF service as explained in paragraphs 0128 and 0129 ).
Regarding claim 11:
Claim 11 is directed towards an apparatus performing the method of claim 1. Accordingly, it is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 12 is directed towards an apparatus performing the method of claim 2. Accordingly, it is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim 13 is directed towards an apparatus performing the method of claim 3. Accordingly, it is rejected under similar rationale.
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.
Claim 4-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Bae et al. (European Patent Document No. EP 4697668 A1), hereinafter, Bae.
Regarding claim 4:
Bae teaches:
An operation method for providing packet header handling information in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, by a session management function (SMF), packet header handling information directly or via a network exposure function (NEF) from an application function (AF) through a policy control function (PCF) via a service based interface (SBI) (Fig. 6, step 613, shows receiving, by a SMF, information for supporting PDU set handling service (packet header handling information) from a AF via PCF as stated in paragraph 0116 “In step 613, the PCF entity may transfer, to the SMF entity, an updated PCC rule including updated QoS information based on PDU set QoS profile and RTP bundling-related information for supporting a PDU set handling service in the RAN, protocol descriptor information indicating that PDU set information is included in a header extension field of the packets in the UPF entity, and the like through the session policy control update notification (Npcf_SMPolicyControl_UpdateNotify) request message.”. Paragraph 0013 discloses PDU set handling information related to packet header);
retransmitting, by the SMF to a UPF, the packet header handling information received from the PCF through an N4 interface (Fig. 6, step 615, shows transferring PDU set handling information to a UPF as stated in paragraph 0117 “In steps 615 and 617, the SMF entity may transfer, to the UPF through an N4 session modification request message, PDU set handling information including PDU set information detection rules and related parameter information for PDU set-based service support received from the PCF in step 613, and may receive a response. The N4 session modification request message may include a packet detection rule (PDR).”);
receiving, by the SMF, the packet header handling information set through the N4 interface from the UPF and transmits the same directly or via the NEF to the AF through the PCF via the SBI (Fig. 8, step 807, shows receiving, by the SMF, information through N4 interface from the UPF as stated in paragraph 0153 “In step 807, when the data rate monitoring value of the RTP-bundled QoS flow data rate monitoring value exceeds a threshold during data rate monitoring based on the requirements for QoS monitoring in the updated PCC rule generated by the PCF entity in step 801, the UPF entity may transfer QoS monitoring reporting information to the SMF entity through N4 session reporting.”. Fig. 8, steps 809, 813, 815, disclose the SMF transmit the information to the AF via the PCF ); and
transmitting, by the UPF, the packet header handling information directly or via the NEF to the AF through the SBI (Fig. 8, steps 807, 809, 813, 815, shows the UPF sends the information to the AF via NEF).
As to claim 5, the rejection of claim 4 is incorporated. Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 4 as shown above.
Bae further teaches wherein the SBI used when the SMF transmits and receives the packet header handling information directly or via the NEF to and from the AF is a Npcf_PolicyAuthorization, or a Npcf_SMPolicyControl (paragraph 0111 discloses the interface is Npcf_PolicyAuthorization. Paragraph 0116 discloses Npcf_SMPolicyControl).
As to claim 6, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 5 as shown above.
Bae further teaches wherein the Npcf_PolicyAuthorization service operation, which is the SBI for transmitting and receiving the packet header handling information between the AF and the PCF, is composed of information indicating the packet header handling information (paragraph 0111 disclose the information include PDU set handling information).
As to claim 7, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated. Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 5 as shown above.
Bae further teaches wherein a protocol for exchanging the packet header handling information between the SMF and the UPF is at least one of N4 PFCP (packet forward control protocol), N4 Session Establishment, N4 Session Modification, or N4 Session Report messages (paragraph 0117 discloses N4 session modification request).
As to claim 9, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated. Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 5 as shown above.
Bae further teaches wherein the packet header handling information between the AF and the UPF is composed of at least one of a Command Type, a Transaction Identifier, a Direction, a Session Type, a Session Identifier, a Packet Header Handling Operation Type, a Packet Header Handling Period, a Authentication, a Packet Header Type, or a Packet Header Field Name ,wherein the Command Type is composed of a Request or a Response, the Direction is composed of a Uplink or a Downlink, and the Packet Header Handling Operation Type is composed of at least one of a Detection Header Report, an Inserting Header Report, or an Inserting Header (paragraph 0116 discloses the handling information include protocol descriptor information indicating that PDU set information is included in a header extension field of the packets).
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bae in view of Ville.
As to claim 8, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated. Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 5 as shown above.
Bae does not teach wherein an operation where the UPF transmits the packet header handling information directly or via the NEF to the AF through the SBI is a Nupf_EventExposure_Notify service operation.
Ville teaches wherein an operation where the UPF transmits the packet header handling information directly or via the NEF to the AF through the SBI is a Nupf_EventExposure_Notify service operation (paragprhe 0036 discloses the SBI is Nupf_EventExposure).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bae to incorporate the teaching of Ville about Nupf_EventExposure. One would be motivated to do that notify other NFs to subscribe to the UPF . (see paragraphs 0002 and 0036 of Ville).
As to claim 10, the rejection of claim 5 is incorporated. Bae teaches all the limitations of claim 5 as shown above.
Bae does not teach wherein the packet header handling function is that the UPF is composed of at least one of a packet header addition, a packet header detection, a packet header addition report, or a packet header detection report according to a request of the AF.
Ville teaches wherein the packet header handling function is that the UPF is composed of at least one of a packet header addition, a packet header detection, a packet header addition report, or a packet header detection report according to a request of the AF (paragraph 0033 discloses header handling function at the UPF composed of header addition).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Bae to incorporate the teaching of Ville about header addition functionality at UPF. One would be motivated to do that to add new service to the UPF for better routing and forwarding etc. (see paragraphs 0002 and 0033 of Ville).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAMAL M HOSSAIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3070. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-5:30 M-F.
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June 18, 2026
/KAMAL M HOSSAIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2444
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