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
Response to Amendment.
This action is in response to an amendment filed April 28, 2025. Claims 55, 60, 62, 66, and 73 have been amended. Claim 78 is newly added. Claims 55-78 are now pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 55 and 66 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 55-78 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Security Aspects; Study on security aspects of the 5G Service Based
Architecture (SBA) (Release 16), published 9/2020), hereinafter 3GPP, in view of Choyi et al. (US 2021/0250172 A1).
With respect to claim 55, 3GPP discloses a method for handling a service request in a network, wherein the method is performed by a first network node, wherein the first network node is a first network function (NF) node of a service consumer or a first service communication proxy (SCP) node that is operable to operate as an SCP between the first NF node and a second NF node of a service producer (pgs. 61 and 62, 6.1.6.1-1 and 6.17.1.1, service communication proxy (SeCOP) is mainly used for message forwarding and routing between two network functions. SeCOP includes interfaces with network functions, in addition to NRF and peer SeCOPs within PLMN), the method comprising:
initiating transmission of a first request, wherein the first request is for the second NF node to provide a first service requested by the first NF node (pg. 62, 6.17.1 and 6.17.2, SeCOP is used in indirect communication for message forwarding and routing between NFs. Confidentiality and integrity protection are required since SeCOP carry signaling data as well as privacy, sensitive material, and security keys);
3GPP does not explicitly teach determining a first security feature is required by the second NF node;
wherein the first request has the first security feature as a result of determining that the first security feature is required; and
receiving a response to the first request, wherein the response to the first request has a second security feature;
However, Choyi discloses determining a first security feature is required by the second NF node ([0038], determine if respective protection is required by NF consumer from NF producer));
wherein the first request has the first security feature as a result of determining that the first security feature is required ([0031] and [0033], service request from NF consumer to NF producer includes tokens); and
receiving a response to the first request, wherein the response to the first request has a second security feature ([0035], NF producer receives service request from NF consumer and generates a signed response produced using a hash and digital signature that is returned to NF consumer);
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the invention was filed, to combine the teachings of 3GPP with the teachings of Choyi and determine a security feature is required by a second, in order to perform secure communication between NFs (Choyi, [0010]).
With respect to claim 56, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 55, wherein Choyi further discloses the first security feature is that the first request comprises at least one first security parameter and/or at least part of the first request is protected by a first security protocol, and/or the second security feature is that the response to the first request comprises at least one second security parameter and/or at least part of the response to the first request is protected by a second security protocol ([0031] and [0033]).
With respect to claim 57, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 56, wherein Choyi further discloses the at least one first security parameter comprises at least one first security token and/or the first security protocol is encryption and/or integrity protection, and/or the at least one second security parameter comprises at least one second security token and/or the second security protocol is encryption and/or integrity protection ([0030]-[0038]).
With respect to claim 58, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 57, wherein Choyi further discloses the at least one first security token comprises at least one first client credentials assertion and/or at least one first access token, and/or the at least one second security token comprises at least one second client credentials assertion and/or at least one second access token ([0031] and [0033]).
With respect to claim 59, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 56, wherein Choyi further discloses the first and/or second security feature is required by:
the first SCP node ([0030]-[0038]);
a group of SCP nodes comprising the first SCP node ([0030]-[0038]);
the second NF node ([0030]-[0038]);
a group of NF nodes of the service producer comprising the second NF node ([0030]-[0038]);
a network repository function (NRF) node ([0030]-[0038]); and/or
any other node, the first and/or second security feature is required for:
all services ([0030]-[0038]);
any service requested by the first NF node ([0030]-[0038]);
the first service requested by the first NF node ([0030]-[0038]);
a group of services comprising the first service requested by the first NF node ([0030]-[0038]); or
services that are outside a predefined location and the first service is outside the predefined location ([0030]-[0038]), and/or first and/or second security feature is required for:
all NF nodes of the service consumer ([0030]-[0038]);
the first NF node of the service consumer ([0030]-[0038]);
a group of NF nodes of the service consumer comprising the first NF node of the service consumer ([0030]-[0038]); or
any NE nodes of the service consumer that are outside a predefined location and the first NF node of the service consumer is outside the predefined location ([0030]-[0038]);
With respect to claim 60, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 59, wherein Choyi further discloses the first security feature is required by the NRF node for a request for the NRF node to provide an access token ([0030]-[0038]).
With respect to claim 61, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 59, wherein Choyi further discloses the first request has the first security feature if a profile of the second NF node comprises information indicative that such a first security feature is required and/or if the first NF node is configured in a predefined way that requires the first security feature, and/or the response to the first request has the second security feature if a profile of the second NF node comprises information indicative that such a second security feature is required ([0030]-[0038]).
With respect to claim 62, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 55, wherein Choyi further discloses the method comprising:
receiving a message comprising information indicative of whether such a first and/or second security feature is required ([0030]-[0038]).
With respect to claim 63, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 62, wherein Choyi further discloses the message comprises information indicative of one or more nodes that require such a first and/or second security feature ([0031] and [0033]).
With respect to claim 64, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 62, wherein Choyi further discloses the method is performed by the first NF node (Abstract);
the first request is a subsequent request for the second NF node to provide the first service requested by the first NF node ([0031] and [0033]); and
the message is a response to an earlier request for the second NF node to provide the first service requested by the first NF node ([0031] and [0033]); or
the method is performed by the first SCP node ([0031] and [0033]); and
the message is a response to a request for a network repository function (NRF) node to provide an access token ([0035]).
With respect to claim 65, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method, wherein 3GPP discloses the a first network node, comprising:
a transmitter (pg. 61, Figure 6.16.1-1);
a receiver (pg. 61, Figure 6.16.1-1); and
processing circuitry configured to cause the first network node to perform the method of claim 55 ((pg. 61, Figure 6.16.1-1).
With respect to claim 67, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 66, wherein Choyi further discloses the response to the first request is indicative of whether the first request is allowed ([0035]).
With respect to claim 68, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 67, wherein Choyi further discloses the first request is allowed provided that the first security feature of the first request is accepted by the second network node ([0035]).
With respect to claim(s) 66 and 69-77, the method and non-transitory medium of claim(s) 66 and 69-77 does/do not limit or further define over the method of claim(s) 55-65. The limitations of claim(s) 66 and 69-77 is/are essentially similar to the limitations of claim(s) 55-65. Therefore, claim(s) 66 and 69-77 is/are rejected for the same reasons as claim(s) 55-65. Please see rejection above.
With respect to claim 78, the combination of 3GPP and Choyi discloses the method of claim 55, wherein Choyi further discloses the first and second security feature is required for services that are outside a predefined location and the first service is outside the predefined location (Abstract).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/ESTHER B. HENDERSON/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2458 August 7, 2025
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