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 .
This action is in response to the remarks/claims submitted 7/30/2026. Claims 16-37 are pending. Claims 16 (a method), 20 (a method), 24 (a machine), 28 (a machine), 32 (a method), and 35 (a machine) are independent.
User Data Center
On pages 8-9 of the remarks filed 7/30/2026, discussing the 112(b) rejection of “user data center” as ambiguous, Applicant states: “the meaning of a ‘user data center’ would be apparent to one skilled in the art, in light of the claims and specification as filed. For example, claim 16 provides that the user data center provides authentication information of the user device and is identified by an identifier, which provides one of skill in the art with sufficient information to define metes and bounds of the claimed invention”.
A user data center will be interpreted to be any entity that (1) has an identifier and (2) provides authentication information.
Lee discloses that the PMSI is used by the HSS to authenticate the user (Lee ¶ 64). The HSS includes an HLR (Lee ¶ 30, “(HLR) that is in charge of storing and updating one or more databases that maintain user subscription information.”). According to Applicant’s asserted interpretation the HSS/HLR is analogous to the ‘user data center’.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s remarks on pages 8-9, filed 7/30/2026, discussing the 112(b) rejection of “user data center” are persuasive. The user data center is interpreted in accordance therewith and the 112(b) rejection is withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 7/30/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 10-11 Applicant asserts: “The present claim terms are not equivalent to the disclosures of Xie…. There is no teaching in Xie to embed a data center identifier inside a privacy enhanced subscription identifier.”
This argument is not persuasive. As defined by Applicant in the remarks filed 7/30/2026 pages 8-9, the HSS/HLR of Lee is analogous to the claimed user data center.
Xie proceeds to note that an IMSI includes numerous data including an HLR ID:
(“An IMSI is a number in a PLMN to identify a mobile subscriber and includes a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC) and a Mobile Subscriber Identity Number (MSIN), where the MCC identifies a country where the mobile subscriber registers, the MNC identifies a home network of the mobile subscriber and constitutes a PLMN value of the operator together with the MCC, and the MSIN identifies the mobile subscriber within a PLMN service area and is composed of a Home Location Register Identifier (HLR ID) and a subscriber number in a Home Location Register (HLR).” Xie ¶ 51).
Thus, the combination of Lee with Xie discloses a privacy enhanced PSMI in lieu of an IMSI (Lee ¶ 23) where the PMSI includes a HLR ID (Xie ¶ 51). The HLR being analogous to Applicant’s claimed user data center (Lee ¶ 30).
On page 11 of the remarks, Applicant states “Xie discloses … the MSIN, which is a number in a PLMN to identify a mobile subscriber …. Thus, Xie cannot teach the claimed privacy enhanced subscription identifier.
This argument is not persuasive. The IMSI of Xie is the IMSI of Lee; which Lee substitutes with the PMSI (Privacy Mobile Subscriber Identity). Xie was not relied on for privacy. Rather, Xie was relied on for teaching the state of the art of the IMSI and the constituent data that it contains. Lee necessarily includes the same data disclosed in Xie as they are both discussing the IMSI data element. In any case, Lee as combined with Xie now includes the known elements of the IMSI as disclosed in Xie.
On page 11 of the remarks, Applicant states: “no motivation to combine those elements is present …. In view of Xie’s failure to address privacy and authentication concerns and Lee’s teaching that it already provides sufficient teachings for obtaining necessary routing information for disposition of the authentication request message….”
This argument is not persuasive.
Lee and Xie are discussing an identical IMSI. Xie is merely providing more detail as to the constituent elements of the IMSI. Examiner notes that Lee does suggest “sufficient teachings for obtaining necessary routing information for disposition of the authentication request message” as such is seemingly inherent in the usage of an IMSI (or PMSI of Lee) on a visited network; however, Xie was cited to explicitly describe such suggested features of Lee.
If, as Applicant asserts, Lee “already provides sufficient teachings” then Lee would be an anticipatory reference. However, such an argument would not overcome the citation of Lee as rendering the claims obvious. Nor the combination of Lee in view of Xie as rendering the claims obvious.
On page 13 of the remarks Applicant states: “There is not teaching in Yokoyama to embed a data center identifier inside a privacy enhanced subscription identifier”.
In response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
Here Lee teaches a privacy enhanced subscription identifier and Yokoyama was cited for the concept of “identification information (ID) of the data center 214” (Yokoyama ¶ 70).
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) 16-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., US 2016/0262015 (published 2016), in view of Xie et al., US 2011/0007726 (published 2011).
As to claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35, Lee discloses a method/machine comprising:
for wireless communication, comprising (see Lee, fig. 5):
receiving, by a service network, an initial attach request sent by a user equipment, the initial attach request carrying a privacy enhanced subscription identifier (“The initial attach request includes the current PMSI instead of the IMSI (or any other value that one or more elements within the serving network 108 could use to associate with the IMSI of UE 102).” Lee ¶ 62) that indicates an identifier identifying a Mobile Country Code (MCC) filed, and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) field; (“Where it is the first time that the UE 102 is attempting to attach to the serving network 108, the current PMSI may correspond to the initial PMSI” Lee ¶ 60. “the UE 102 sends an initial attach request to the serving network 108, for example by transmitting the initial attach request to the base station 104” Lee ¶ 62. “next PMSI=MCC|MNC|Truncate(HMAC(KPMSI,PMSI|index)).” Lee ¶ 66)
requesting, by the service network, authentication information from a home network, (“in action 506 the MME 106 takes the information in the initial attach request and sends an authentication information request to the server 112. The authentication information request may include the current PMSI and a sequence number that refers to the serving network 108 being accessed by the UE 102.” Lee ¶ 63. “The MME 106 communicates with a server 112 in a home network 114. In an embodiment, the server 112 is a home subscriber server (HSS), which among other things maintains the home location register (HLR) that is in charge of storing and updating one or more databases that maintain user subscription information.” Lee ¶ 30) wherein the home network is determined in part based on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC) carried in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier (inherent to the system disclosed in Lee. This is the purpose of the MCC and MNC codes.)
receiving, by the service network, the authentication information provided by a user data center (“At action 510, the server 112 takes the information generated and incorporates it into an authentication information response to be sent to the MME 106. The next PMSI may be encrypted for added security in the authentication information response, e.g. so that the MME 106 is not able to discern the next PMSI between the UE 102 and the server 112.” Lee ¶ 68. “At action 512, the MME 106 engages in mutual authentication with the UE 102 by sending an authentication request to the UE 102.” Lee ¶ 71) (“The home network 114 may include multiple HSS. For example, the number of HSS may depend upon the number of mobile subscribers, equipment capacity, and network organization.” Lee ¶ 30)
Lee does not disclose:
identifier identifying a user data center
determined according to the identifier identifying the user data center in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier.
Xie discloses:
identifier identifying a user data center (“MSIN identifies the mobile subscriber within a PLMN service area and is composed of a Home Location Register Identifier (HLR ID) and a subscriber number in a Home Location Register (HLR).” Xie ¶ 51)
wherein the home network is determined in part based on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC) carried in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier (“where the MCC identifies a country where the mobile subscriber registers, the MNC identifies a home network of the mobile subscriber and constitutes a PLMN value of the operator together with the MCC,” Xie ¶ 51)
determined according to the identifier identifying the user data center in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier. (“Home Location Register Identifier (HLR ID) and a subscriber number in a Home Location Register (HLR).” Xie ¶ 51).
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Lee with Xie by utilizing an identifier to indicate a particular HSS server of the multiple HSS servers of Lee. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Lee with Xie in order to provide necessary routing information for disposition of the authentication request message, Xie ¶ 51, also Xie ¶ 5.
As to claims 17 and 25, Lee in view of Xie discloses the method/machine of claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35 and further discloses: wherein requesting the authentication information comprises: sending, by the service network, a request message to the home network carrying the privacy enhanced subscription identifier. (“in action 506 the MME 106 takes the information in the initial attach request and sends an authentication information request to the server 112…. may include the current PMSI” Lee ¶ 63.)
As to claims 21 and 29, Lee in view of Xie discloses the method/machine of claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35 and further discloses:
determining, by the home network, an international mobile subscriber identification number (IMSI) based on the privacy enhanced subscription identifier. (“When the server 112 finds a match between PMSI values, the server 112 may also check for the IMSI corresponding to the current PMSI” Lee ¶ 64)
As to claims 18, 22, 26, 30, 33 and 36, Lee in view of Xie discloses the method/machine of claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35 and further discloses: wherein the service network comprises an access network (radio network eNB of Lee Fig. 5) and a core network. (interworking functionality MME of Lee Fig. 5)
As to claims 19, 23, 27, 31, 34, and 37, Lee in view of Xie discloses the method/machine of claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35 and further discloses:
wherein the home network comprises an authentication certification center (“the server 112 is a home subscriber server (HSS), which among other things maintains the home location register (HLR) that is in charge of storing and updating one or more databases that maintain user subscription information.” Lee ¶ 30) and the user data center. (“The home network 114 may include multiple HSS. For example, the number of HSS may depend upon the number of mobile subscribers, equipment capacity, and network organization.” Lee ¶ 30)
Claim(s) 16-37 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al., US 2016/0262015 (published 2016), in view of Yokoyama et al., US 2013/0051361 (published 2013).
As to claims 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and 35, Lee discloses a method/machine comprising:
for wireless communication, comprising (see Lee, fig. 5):
receiving, by a service network, an initial attach request sent by a user equipment, the initial attach request carrying a privacy enhanced subscription identifier that indicates an identifier identifying a Mobile Country Code (MCC) filed, and a Mobile Network Code (MNC) field; (“Where it is the first time that the UE 102 is attempting to attach to the serving network 108, the current PMSI may correspond to the initial PMSI” Lee ¶ 60. “the UE 102 sends an initial attach request to the serving network 108, for example by transmitting the initial attach request to the base station 104” Lee ¶ 62. “next PMSI=MCC|MNC|Truncate(HMAC(KPMSI,PMSI|index)).” Lee ¶ 66)
requesting, by the service network, authentication information from a home network, (“in action 506 the MME 106 takes the information in the initial attach request and sends an authentication information request to the server 112.” Lee ¶ 63. “The MME 106 communicates with a server 112 in a home network 114. In an embodiment, the server 112 is a home subscriber server (HSS), which among other things maintains the home location register (HLR) that is in charge of storing and updating one or more databases that maintain user subscription information.” Lee ¶ 30) wherein the home network is determined in part based on a Mobile Country Code (MCC) and Mobile Network Code (MNC) carried in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier (inherent to the system disclosed in Lee. This is the purpose of the MCC and MNC codes.)
receiving, by the service network, the authentication information provided by a user data center (“At action 510, the server 112 takes the information generated and incorporates it into an authentication information response to be sent to the MME 106. The next PMSI may be encrypted for added security in the authentication information response, e.g. so that the MME 106 is not able to discern the next PMSI between the UE 102 and the server 112.” Lee ¶ 68. “At action 512, the MME 106 engages in mutual authentication with the UE 102 by sending an authentication request to the UE 102.” Lee ¶ 71)
Lee does not disclose:
identifier identifying a user data center
determined according to the identifier identifying the user data center in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier.
Yokoyama discloses:
identifier identifying a user data center (“In step S402, one of the member UEs 204-1 to 204-n within the wireless area of the wireless base station (hereinafter also referred to as “eNB”) 202 sends a connection request signal Attach that requests connection with the data center (DC) 214 to the wireless base station 202. The connection request signal Attach includes the member terminal ID of the member UE section 204, which indicates the source, and identification information (ID) of the data center 214, which indicates the destination.” Yokoyama ¶ 70)
determined according to the identifier identifying the user data center in the privacy enhanced subscription identifier. (“he session generation request signal Create Session includes the group ID, which is the terminal ID of the representative UE section, as the terminal ID indicating the source, and the identification information (ID) …. based on the received session generation request signal, the gateway 212 sends a link request signal Linking that requests establishment of a communication link to the data center 214.” Yokoyama ¶¶ 75-76)
A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have combined Lee with Yokoyama by incorporating the data center ID within an attach request into the attach request of Lee. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Lee with Yokoyama by grouping user services to a particular data center in order establish grouped multiplex communications at the data center, Yokoyama ¶¶ 31 and 41.
As to dependent claims 17-19, 21-23, 25-27, 29-31, 33, 34, 36, and 37, see citations to Lee detailed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892, particularly:
Wang et al., US 2019/0029075, disclose a message exchange system that utilizes a “data center” identifier.
Giust et al., US 2019/0260641, discloses SDN based mobile communication system using a data center identifier.
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 MICHAEL W CHAO whose telephone number is (571)272-5165. The examiner can normally be reached M, W-F 8-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rupal Dharia can be reached at (571) 272-3880. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL W CHAO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2492
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