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
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's communication filed on 01/07/2026. In virtue of this communication, claims 13, 15, 20 have been amended. Claims 1 – 21 are currently pending in the instant application.
Response to Argument
2. In view of applicant’s amendment and arguments regarding objections to the claims, these objections are hereby withdrawn.
3. Applicant's arguments filed on 01/07/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to Applicant’s argument that the Velev reference does not teach “the session ID is transmitted from the UE toward the second core network node”, examiner respectfully disagrees.
Examiner notes that the Lau reference teaches the UE sends a request to MME for a PDN session to reestablish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with base station. Lau is missing that the PDU session not including an ID, and that missing was taught by Velev for a PDU session including UE related context such as session ID. Thus, the combination teaches the argued limitation.
Therefore, the previous rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 of this title, 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 – 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lau et al. (hereinafter “Lau”) (Pub # US 2017/0070921 A1) in view of Velev et al. (hereinafter “Velev”) (Pub # US 2020/0059989 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Lau discloses a User Equipment (UE) (see user device in FIG. 1A, FIG. 3, [0025]) comprising:
a memory having stored therein program instructions (see 330/340 in FIG. 3, [0026] – [0027]); and
at least one processor (see 320 in FIG. 3) that when executing the program instructions (see [0026]) is configured to:
send, to a second core network node (i.e., MME in FIG. 1A, 1B, MME 215 in FIG. 2), a first request so that a User Plane resource is released (see [0010] – [0012], [0034], [0035], [0053], FIG. 4A for the UE sends a request to a MME, in which request to establish a PDN session with a temporary default bearer that is not maintained for the duration of the PDN session, wherein temporary default bearer, which is has been established between the SGW and the PGW to carry user plane (UP) data, will be released at a later time without releasing the PDN session),
receive, from a radio station (i.e., base station in FIG. 1A, 1B, FIG. 2, [0016]), a modification message (see [0069] for the MME instructs base station to page user device, user device receives the page such that the UE sends a request to MME to reestablish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with base station, thus obviously a RRC message); and
send, toward the second core network node, a session data over the radio station (see [0013], [0015], [0069] for the UE sends a request to MME for a PDN session to reestablish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with base station),
wherein the first request includes the session data and indication about release (see [0010] – [0012], [0036], [0053], [0054], FIG. 4A for MME receive first request for PDN session and indication to release the temporary default bearer), and
the session data corresponds to a first core network node (i.e., SGW 220 in FIG. 2) different from the second core network node (see MME 215 in FIG. 2) (see [0010], [0018], [0041] for MME provides an instruction to a particular SGW (based on a geographic location of user device and a geographic region served by SGW) to assist with establishing the PDN session and to serve user device, thus the PDN session corresponding to the SGW different with the MME).
Lau does not disclose PDU session including an ID.
In an analogous art, Velev discloses PDU session including an ID (see Velev, [0064], [0067] - [0070], where Velev is discussing UE session related context such as PDU session IDs and corresponding S-NSSAIs and SMF IDs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Lau, and have PDU session ID such that provides particular UE session related context, as discussed by Velev (see Velev, [0064]).
Regarding claim 8, Lau discloses a method performed in a second core network node (i.e., MME in FIG. 1A, 1B, MME 215 in FIG. 2), the method comprising:
receiving, from a User Equipment (UE) (see user device in FIG. 1A, 1B), a first request so that a User Plane resource is released (see [0010] – [0012], [0034], [0035], [0053], FIG. 4A for the UE sends a request to a MME, in which request to establish a PDN session with a temporary default bearer that is not maintained for the duration of the PDN session, wherein temporary default bearer, which is has been established between the SGW and the PGW to carry user plane (UP) data, will be released at a later time without releasing the PDN session),
receiving, from the UE, a session data over a radio station (see [0013], [0015], [0069] for the UE sends a request to MME for a PDN session to reestablish a radio resource control (RRC) connection with base station); and
sending, to a first core network node (i.e., SGW 220 in FIG. 2), the first request (see [0010], [0018], [0041] for MME provides an instruction to a particular SGW (based on a geographic location of user device and a geographic region served by SGW) to assist with establishing the PDN session and to serve user device); wherein
the first request includes session data and indication about release (see [0010] – [0012], [0036], [0053], [0054], FIG. 4A for MME receive first request for PDN session and indication to release the temporary default bearer), and
the session data corresponds to the first core network node different from the second core network node (see MME 215 in FIG. 2) (see [0010], [0018], [0041] for MME provides an instruction to a particular SGW (based on a geographic location of user device and a geographic region served by SGW) to assist with establishing the PDN session and to serve user device, thus the PDN session corresponding to the SGW different with the MME).
Lau does not disclose PDU session including an ID.
In an analogous art, Velev discloses PDU session including an ID (see Velev, [0064], [0067] - [0070], where Velev is discussing UE session related context such as PDU session IDs and corresponding S-NSSAIs and SMF IDs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Lau, and have PDU session ID such that provides particular UE session related context, as discussed by Velev (see Velev, [0064]).
Regarding claims 2, 9, and 16, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the indication is related to the User Plane resource release (see Lau, [0010] – [0012], [0034] - [0036], [0053], [0054], FIG. 4A for the UE sends a request to the MME for PDN session and indication to release the temporary default bearer, wherein the temporary default bearer has been established between the SGW and the PGW to carry user plane (UP) data, and see Velev, [0068] – [0070] for an Nsmf_SMContext_Release service operation with the SMF to release the UE's context and the UP resources).
Regarding claims 3, 10, and 17, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the modification message includes the session ID (see Velev, [0084] – [0086] for perform handover, see [0064], [0078], [0102], [0105], [0116] for transmitting a PDU session modification procedure towards the UMF2/UPF2 for the PDU session ID which is transmitted via RRC signaling). The motivation would provide for performing handover and/or registration procedures due to mobility, as suggested by Velev (see Velev, [0082]).
Regarding claims 4, 11, and 18, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the modification message is sent form the second core network node to the radio station (see Velev, [0084] – [0086] for perform handover, see [0078], [0102] for the AMF (which including MME Mobility Management Function) sends a PDU session modification request message (e.g., UP target RAN address and TEID allocated at the target RAN). The motivation would provide for performing handover and/or registration procedures due to mobility, as suggested by Velev (see Velev, [0082]).
Regarding claims 5, 12, and 19, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the modification message is Radio Resource Control (RRC) message (see Lau, [0069], and see Velev, [0060], [0061], [0105] for RRC signaling).
Regarding claims 6, 13, and 20, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the first core network node is a Session Management Function (see Lau, FIG. 1A, [0010] for the MME sends instructions to the SGW for establish a PDN session, and see Velev, [0069] for the new AMF notifies the SMF that the UE's SM context for the PDU session, and see [0054] for the PDU sessions can be applied to any kind of sessions and/or connection (e.g., PDN connection). Thus, it is obviously to show the first core network node is a SMF.
Regarding claims 7, 14, and 21, Lau in view of Velev disclose wherein the second core network node is a mobility management node (see Lau, MME in FIG. 1A, 1B, MME 215 in FIG. 2).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONG-THUY THI TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-3199. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9AM - 6PM (IFP).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANTHONY ADDY can be reached at (571)272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MONG-THUY T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645