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
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)(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.
1. Claims 1-2, 4-5, 8-10, 12-13, 16-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kumar et al (2022/0225266).
Regarding claims 1 and 9. Kumar teaches an apparatus (figure 3A, 0069-0071 – UE comprising transceiver, processor, and memory) and a method for handling non-access stratum (NAS) mobility management (MM) 5 cause (abstract – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication) comprising:
receiving, by a processor of an apparatus, a first message from a network node of a network, wherein the first message comprises a specific cause indicating that a public land mobile network (PLMN) is not allowed to operate at a present location of the apparatus (abstract, 0020, 0028, 0031-0032, 0051-0053, 0060-0061 – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication or a timer indication, 0062 – UE does not select and perform the registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0071 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographic indication and the timer indication, 0079 – send NAS message to the UE indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over satellite communication along with at least one of geographical indication and the timer indication, figure 4, 0085 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer value, 0089 – send NAS message to the UE indicating the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer indication, 0109-0114 – UE receives reject cause );
starting, by the processor, a timer (abstract, 0020, 0031, 0051, 0061, 0062 – UE does not select and perform registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0072-0073 – UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till the expiry of the timer, 0086 – UE starts timer with the timer value and the UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till expiry of the timer, 0110 – UE starts timer); and
releasing, by the processor, a connection between the apparatus and the PLMN in an event associated with the timer (0098, 0100 – UE performs local release or the RRC connection optionally after waiting for the network to release the signaling connection for “X” duration time. The “X” duration can be monitored by the timer by the UE, 0109-0110).
Regarding claim 17. Kumar teaches a method for handling non-access stratum (NAS) mobility management (MM) cause (abstract – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication), comprising:
registering, by a processor of an apparatus, to a public land mobile network (PLMN) (0021 – UE registered and receives the NAS message, 0026 – the NAS message is one of a registration reject message, 0028 – UE is already in registered state over satellite communication. Detecting, by the PLMN, that the PLMN is not allowed to operate at the present UE location and sending by the PLMN, a NAS message to the UE indicating the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with at least one of geographical indication or timer indication, 0032 – UE is already in registered sate over a satellite communication and sending NAS message to the UE indicating UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with at least one of a geographic indication or a timer value, 0059-0062 – UE is registered and receives NAS message, 0071 – UE is registered and receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over satellite communication along with geographic indication and the timer indication from the PLMN, 0079 – UE registration procedure to PLMN and UE receives NAS message which indicates the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographical indication and timer indication, figure 5, 0086-0089 – UE registration procedure and sending NAS message indicating the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN);
receiving, by the processor, a downlink (DL) non-access stratum (NAS) TRANSPORT message from a network node, wherein the DL NAS TRANSPORT message comprises a specific cause indicating that the PLMN is not allowed to operate at a present location of the apparatus (abstract, 0020, 0028, 0031-0032, 0051-0053, 0060-0061 – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication or a timer indication, 0062 – UE does not select and perform the registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0071 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographic indication and the timer indication, 0079 – send NAS message to the UE indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over satellite communication along with at least one of geographical indication and the timer indication, figure 4, 0085 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer value, 0089 – send NAS message to the UE indicating the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer indication, 0109-0114 – UE receives reject cause );
starting, by the processor, a timer (abstract, 0020, 0031, 0051, 0061, 0062 – UE does not select and perform registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0072-0073 – UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till the expiry of the timer, 0086 – UE starts timer with the timer value and the UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till expiry of the timer, 0110 – UE starts timer); and
determining, by the processor, not to access the PLMN via a satellite before the timer expires apparatus (abstract, 0020, 0028, 0031-0032, 0051-0053, 0060-0061 – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication or a timer indication, 0062 – UE does not select and perform the registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0071 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographic indication and the timer indication, 0079 – send NAS message to the UE indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over satellite communication along with at least one of geographical indication and the timer indication, figure 4, 0085 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer value, 0089 – send NAS message to the UE indicating the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer indication, 0109-0114 – UE receives reject cause).
Regarding claims 2 and 10. Kumar teaches wherein the event comprises that the timer expires (abstract, 0020, 0031, 0051, 0061, 0062 – UE does not select and perform registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0072-0073 – UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till the expiry of the timer, 0086 – UE starts timer with the timer value and the UE is not allowed to access the PLMN till expiry of the timer, 0110 – UE starts timer).
Regarding claims 4 and 12. Kumar teaches wherein the first message comprises at least one of a REGISTRATION REJECT message, a SERVICE REJECT message, a DEREGISTRATION REQUEST message and a downlink (DL) NAS TRANSPORT message in a condition that the network corresponds to a fifth generation system (5GS) (0021, 0026, 0029, 0033, 0059, 0080).
Regarding claims 5 and 13. Kumar teaches wherein the first message comprises at least one of an ATTACH REJECT message, a DETACH REQUEST message, a SERVICE REJECT message and a TRACKING AREA UPDATE REJECT message in an event that the network corresponds to an evolved packet system (EPS) (0021, 0026, 0028, 0079).
Regarding claims 8 and 16. Kumar teaches preforming, by the processor, a PLMN selection responsive to releasing the connection between the apparatus and the PLMN (0017, 0055, 0100 – UE performs local release and register onto another PLMN).
Regarding claim 19. Kumar teaches determining, by the processor, that the apparatus is allowed to access the PLMN in a condition that: a distance between a geographical location where the DL NAS TRANSPORT message was received, and a current location of the apparatus is larger than a specific value; or the timer expires; or
an access is for an emergency service (abstract, 0014-0015, 0020, 0022, 0052, 0061-0062).
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.
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.
2. Claims 3, 6, 11, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumar in view of Watfa et al (2024/0056947).
Regarding claims 3 and 11. Kumar does not teach wherein the event comprises: stopping, by the processor, the timer responsive to receiving a second message, wherein the second message indicates release of the connection between the apparatus and the PLMN.
Watfa teaches sending the UE cause 78 “PLMN not allowed to operate at the present location” (0049) and sends a second message “PDU session Release Request (0052) to the UE and the UE stops timer T3582, abort the procedure and locally release the PDU session (0052).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kumar to send a second message as taught by Watfa in order to locally release the PDU session thereby saving network resources.
Regarding claims 6, 14 and 20. Kumar does not use the term “cause #78”.
However, Kumar teaches abstract, 0020, 0028, 0031-0032, 0051-0053, 0060-0061 – NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication or a timer indication, 0062 – UE does not select and perform the registration on the first PLMN over satellite access if the timer is running, 0071 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographic indication and the timer indication, 0079 – send NAS message to the UE indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the first PLMN over satellite communication along with at least one of geographical indication and the timer indication, figure 4, 0085 – UE receives NAS message indicating that the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over the satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer value, 0089 – send NAS message to the UE indicating the UE is not permitted to access the PLMN over a satellite communication along with geographical indication and the timer indication, 0109-0114 – UE receives reject cause).
Watfa teaches sending the UE cause 78 “PLMN not allowed to operate at the present location” (0049) and sends a second message “PDU session Release Request (0052) to the UE and the UE stops timer T3582, abort the procedure and locally release the PDU session (0052).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kumar to send a second message as taught by Watfa in order to locally release the PDU session thereby saving network resources.
3. Claims 7 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumar in view of Huang et al (2018/0352531).
Regarding claims 7 and 15. Kumar does not explicitly teach wherein the timer comprises a timer T3540 or a timer T3440.
Huang teaches UE starts a timer (e.g., T3440) upon receiving a NAS reject cause (0035) wherein the timer is configured to control the release of the signaling connection.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kumar to use a T3440 timer as taught by Huang in order to control the release of the signaling connection in response to a NAS reject cause.
4. Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumar in view of Starsinic et al (2024/0007878).
Regarding claim 18. Kumar does not teach storing, by the processor, an identity (ID) of the PLMN; and entering, by the processor, a deregistered state to perform a PLMN selection.
Starsinic teaches UE storing PLMN IDs and the UE de-registers from the current network and connects to a PLMN that was identified in the PLMN list (0219).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Kumar to store PLMN IDs at the UE as taught by Starsinic enabling the UE to de-register with the current PLMN and connect to another PLMN when the disaster is over.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
---(2026/0255254) Xu et al teaches the specific cause comprising cause #78 “PLMNs not allowed to operate at the present UE location” from an NTN cell (0039, 0065), maintains a timer for each PLMN (0043), UE starts timer (0044) and UE is allowed to access PLMN when distance from UE rejected current location is larger than threshold OR the timer expires OR the access for emergency services (0045-0049).
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BARRY W TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-7509. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 7-5.
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/BARRY W TAYLOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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