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 .
DETAILED ACTION
2. This action is in response to the Application filed February 24, 2025 and the Preliminary Amendment filed May 1, 2025.
3. Claims 1-20 have been amended.
4. Claims 1-20 have been examined and are pending with this action.
5. The Information Disclosure Statement filed April 4, 2025 has been considered.
Specification
6. The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
7. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sanneck et al. (US 2013/0028139 A1).
INDEPENDENT:
As per claim 1, Sanneck teaches a communication method, comprising:
receiving, by a first relay device, a first message from a first communication device, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a second communication device, or there is a correspondence between a destination address in the first message and the second communication device (see Sanneck, Abstract: “A method of establishing connectivity between a relay node and an OAM entity in a communications network, the method comprising the steps of: establishing a connection between the relay node and a user plane of the communications network”; [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”; and [0081]: “The RN has configured the received IP address for use when sending OAM traffic. That is, IP packets have specifically assigned, and not broadcast, IP addresses. The source address of the IP packets sent by the RN is the address received from the DHCP server, and the destination address is the IP address of the OAM node the RN communicates with. Accordingly, "IP-m" refers to connectivity (IP addresses, routing entries, etc. with the OAM subnet).”); and
sending, by the first relay device, a second message to the second communication device based on the first message (see Sanneck, [0028]: “Preferably, connectivity establishment as a network node is used to establish IP connectivity. This may involve a DHCP client in the network node sending a DHCP request which is conveyed to a configured DHCP server in the configuration entity.”; and [0038]: “a network node, a user plane, and a configuration entity in a configuration entity subnet, the communications network being configured to establish a connection between the network node and the user plane, the network node being capable of addressing communications to the configuration entity defined as residing in a configuration entity subnet, the communications network being configured to route communications from the user plane to the configuration entity subnet in order to establish connectivity between the network node and the configuration entity.”),
wherein the first communication device is a session management network element and the second communication device is a user plane network element, or the first communication device is the user plane network element and the second communication device is the session management network element (see Sanneck, [0025]: “The network node indication may be sent to a mobility management entity in a connection request to allow the mobility management entity to reject connection requests in respect of UEs that are not authorised to operate as a network node.”; [0029]: “The network node may establish a mutually authenticated TLS session with network management. In establishing a secure connection there may be establishment of a secure tunnel and encryption. However, in one embodiment of the invention, the secure tunnel may be omitted.”; and [0081]: “It should be noted that the depicted "OAM" is the OAM protocol stack above IP for the southbound interface (the management interface between a network element (such as the RN or eNB) and the Element Management System (EMS)). Once IP connectivity has been established, any IP traffic may be exchanged over the established connection, for example traffic sent in the application layer (above TCP/IP) between the RN and the OAM system.”).
As per claim 12, Sanneck teaches an apparatus, comprising:
a processor (see Sanneck, [0040]: “According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a computer program product comprising software code that when executed on a computing system performs a method of establishing connectivity between a network node and a configuration entity in a communications network”); and
a memory having instructions stored thereon that (see Sanneck, [0041]: “Preferably, the computer program product has executable code portions which are capable of carrying out the steps of the method”), when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus (see Sanneck, [0042]: “Preferably, the computer program product is stored on a computer-readable medium”) to:
receive a first message from a first communication device, wherein the first message comprises indication information of a second communication device, or there is a correspondence between a destination address in the first message and the second communication device (see Claim 1 rejection above); and
send a second message to the second communication device based on the first message (see Claim 1 rejection above),
wherein the first communication device is a session management network element, and the second communication device is a user plane network element; or the first communication device is the user plane network element, and the second communication device is the session management network element (see Claim 1 rejection above).
DEPENDENT:
As per claims 2 and 13, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck further teaches wherein a source address in the first message is an address of the first communication device and the destination address in the first message is a first address of the first relay device (see Sanneck, [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”;; and a source address in the second message is a second address of the first relay device and a destination address in the second message is an address of the second communication device (see Sanneck, [0078]: “These messages are sent in the IP layer over TCP/IP (or SCTP/IP) using the IP address received from the DHCP server”; and [0081]: “The source address of the IP packets sent by the RN is the address received from the DHCP server, and the destination address is the IP address of the OAM node the RN communicates with. Accordingly, "IP-m" refers to connectivity (IP addresses, routing entries, etc. with the OAM subnet).”).
As per claims 3 and 14, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck further teaches wherein the first message comprises a first identifier, and the second message comprises a second identifier; or the first message comprises the first identifier, and the second message comprises the first identifier and the second identifier (see Sanneck, [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”),
wherein the first relay device stores a correspondence between the first identifier and the second identifier, the first identifier is an identifier allocated by the first communication device to a target session, and the second identifier is an identifier that is allocated by the first relay device to the target session and that corresponds to the first identifier (see Sanneck, [0027]: “The network node may use a protocol configuration element to indicate the manner by which an address for the network node is to be obtained. The network node may indicate that a DHCP server is to provide the address. In this way, it may not be necessary for a gateway to carry out automatic address allocation as part of bearer establishment.”; and [0109]: “it may have special routing entries added into its routing table relating to the APN-OAM so that when it is instructed to send a message to the OAM subset, is may simply forward it through the relevant interface and then via the relevant IP router identified by a particular IP address.”).
As per claims 4 and 15, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck further teaches wherein the first message comprises a third identifier, the third identifier is an identifier that is allocated by the first relay device to a target session and that corresponds to a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is an identifier allocated by the second communication device to the target session; and the second message comprises the fourth identifier (see Sanneck, [0027]: “The network node may use a protocol configuration element to indicate the manner by which an address for the network node is to be obtained. The network node may indicate that a DHCP server is to provide the address. In this way, it may not be necessary for a gateway to carry out automatic address allocation as part of bearer establishment.”; and [0109]: “it may have special routing entries added into its routing table relating to the APN-OAM so that when it is instructed to send a message to the OAM subset, is may simply forward it through the relevant interface and then via the relevant IP router identified by a particular IP address.”).
As per claims 5 and 16, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck teaches further comprising: sending a first indication to the first communication device, wherein the first indication indicates that a connection between the first relay device and the second communication device is interrupted (see Sanneck, [0024]: “This may involve providing the subscription data entries with a network node indication indicating a normal mobile terminal or a network node.”; and [0025]: “The network node indication may be sent to a mobility management entity in a connection request to allow the mobility management entity to reject connection requests in respect of UEs that are not authorised to operate as a network node.”).
As per claims 6 and 17, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck further teaches wherein the sending a first indication to the first communication device comprises: sending the first indication to the first communication device after receiving a third message from the first communication device, wherein the third message comprises the indication information of the second communication device, or there is a correspondence between a destination address in the third message and the second communication device (see Sanneck, [0024]: “A number of network nodes may undergo in a common pre-provisioning operation in which respective subscription data entries for each are created which can subsequently be used in configuration of the associated network nodes. This may involve providing the subscription data entries with a network node indication indicating a normal mobile terminal or a network node.”; [0034]: “According to the invention, a secure tunnel may pass through a gateway to extend to the user plane and then return back to the gateway where it terminates.”; and [0072]: “One way of looking at Layer 2 and Layer 3 is that in Layer 2 links are established between nodes so that they have the means by which they can communicate data with either other in and Layer 3 communication can take place between arbitrary nodes as a result of the nodes being provided with addresses.”).
As per claims 7 and 18, which respectively depend on claims 1 and 12, Sanneck further teaches further comprising:
receiving a fourth message from the first communication device, wherein the fourth message comprises the indication information of the second communication device, or there is a correspondence between a destination address in the fourth message and the second communication device (see Sanneck, [0024]: “A number of network nodes may undergo in a common pre-provisioning operation in which respective subscription data entries for each are created which can subsequently be used in configuration of the associated network nodes. This may involve providing the subscription data entries with a network node indication indicating a normal mobile terminal or a network node.”; [0034]: “According to the invention, a secure tunnel may pass through a gateway to extend to the user plane and then return back to the gateway where it terminates.”; and [0072]: “One way of looking at Layer 2 and Layer 3 is that in Layer 2 links are established between nodes so that they have the means by which they can communicate data with either other in and Layer 3 communication can take place between arbitrary nodes as a result of the nodes being provided with addresses.”); and
in response to a connection between the first relay device and the second communication device being interrupted, sending a fifth message to a second relay device based on the fourth message, wherein the fifth message comprises the indication information of the second communication device, or there is a correspondence between a destination address in the fifth message and the second communication device; and the second relay device is configured to transmit a message between the first communication device and the second communication device (see Claim 1 rejection above).
As per claims 8 and 19, which respectively depend on claims 7 and 18, Sanneck further teaches wherein a source address in the fourth message is the address of the first communication device and the destination address in the fourth message is a first address of the first relay device (see Sanneck, [0024]: “A number of network nodes may undergo in a common pre-provisioning operation in which respective subscription data entries for each are created which can subsequently be used in configuration of the associated network nodes. This may involve providing the subscription data entries with a network node indication indicating a normal mobile terminal or a network node.”; [0034]: “According to the invention, a secure tunnel may pass through a gateway to extend to the user plane and then return back to the gateway where it terminates.”; and [0072]: “One way of looking at Layer 2 and Layer 3 is that in Layer 2 links are established between nodes so that they have the means by which they can communicate data with either other in and Layer 3 communication can take place between arbitrary nodes as a result of the nodes being provided with addresses.”); and
a source address in the fifth message is the first address of the first relay device and the destination address in the fifth message is a third address of the second relay device (see Claim 1 rejection above).
As per claims 9 and 20, which respectively depend on claims 7 and 18, Sanneck further teaches wherein the fourth message comprises a first identifier, and the first identifier is an identifier allocated by the first communication device to a target session; and the fifth message comprises a second identifier, and the second identifier an identifier that is allocated by the first relay device to the target session and that corresponds to the first identifier; or the fourth message comprises the first identifier, and the fifth message comprises the first identifier and the second identifier (see Sanneck, [0066]: “The PGW maintains a PDP Context which is set up as part of the EPS bearer establishment. The PDP Context contains (among other things) the GTP tunnel endpoint identifier that spans from the PGW to a serving gateway (SGW)”; and [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”).
As per claim 10, which depends on claim 7, Sanneck further teaches wherein the fourth message comprises a third identifier, the third identifier is an identifier that is allocated by the first relay device to a target session and that corresponds to a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is an identifier allocated by the second communication device to the target session; and the fifth message comprises the third identifier; and the communication method further comprises :sending, to the second relay device, information indicating a correspondence between the third identifier and the fourth identifier (see Sanneck, [0066]: “The PGW maintains a PDP Context which is set up as part of the EPS bearer establishment. The PDP Context contains (among other things) the GTP tunnel endpoint identifier that spans from the PGW to a serving gateway (SGW)”; and [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”).
As per claim 11, which depends on claim 1, Sanneck further teaches wherein the first message comprises a fifth identifier, the fifth identifier is an identifier that is allocated by a third relay device to a target session and that corresponds to a fourth identifier, and the fourth identifier is an identifier allocated by the second communication device to the target session; and the second message comprises the fourth identifier; and the communication method further comprises: obtaining, from the third relay device, information indicating a correspondence between the fifth identifier and the fourth identifier (see Sanneck, [0066]: “The PGW maintains a PDP Context which is set up as part of the EPS bearer establishment. The PDP Context contains (among other things) the GTP tunnel endpoint identifier that spans from the PGW to a serving gateway (SGW)”; and [0067]: “Until the UE/RN receives an IP address, the UE/RN can only send broadcast packets (with source IP address set to 0.0.0.0), like DHCP DISCOVER messages. These messages contain other identifiers that can be used by the PGW to map packets coming from the PDN (as a reply to broadcast requests) to the correct PDP Context and GTP tunnel.”).
Conclusion
8. For the reasons above, claims 1-20 have been rejected and remain pending.
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL Y WON whose telephone number is (571)272-3993. The examiner can normally be reached on Wk.1: M-F: 8-5 PST & Wk.2: M-Th: 8-7 PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicholas R Taylor can be reached on 571-272-3889. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael Won/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443
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