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
Acknowledgement is made of the amendment filed on April 27, 206, in which:
Claims 1, 3, and 4 are Currently Amended.
Claims 9-20 are Withdrawn.
Claims 1-8 are currently pending and an Office action on the merits follows.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-8 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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) 1, 2, and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pub No.: US-20240015683-A1 (herein “Merono Vazquez”), and further in view of Pub No.: US-20220322053-A1 (herein “Das”).
Consider claim 1, Merono Vazquez a method, comprising:
transmitting, by a first network function device included in a core network and to a second network function included in the core network, a request for discovery of a unified data management (UDM) device included in the core network (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note In operations 8-10, the AMF 106 needs to contact a UDM 108 to manage the communication device 100 registration. To discover which UDM(s) can serve the request for the related SUPI, the AMF 106 performs a query towards NRF);
receiving, by the first network function device, from the second network function device, in response to the request, an indication of:
a UDM group identifier associated with the UDM device (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note The NRF 112 performs a SUPI lookup, finds the associated GroupID for the SUPI range matching the SUPI, and returns all UDMs which registered the same GroupID. Each UDM instance profile returned indicates (in addition to the GroupID) that the GroupID mapping is hosted in the NRF 112.), and
a user data repository (UDR) group identifier associated with a UDR device that is associated with the UDM device (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7C, [0083] note In operation 18, when the UDM 108 receives the registration request from the AMF 106, the UDM 108 selects a UDR 110 with the same exact GroupID as the UDM 108. Zero SUPI lookups are performed and the NRF 112 is not contacted at all. Thus, since the UDM 108 belongs to a GroupID, no matter the SUPI received, the UDM 108 selects one of the UDRs 110 having registered in the NRF 112 (as part of the UDR NF profile) with the same GroupID the UDM 108 belongs to. The registration data is stored in the UDR 110. In operation 19, the AMF 106 receives information on the UDR 110 selected by the UDM 108); and
providing, by the first network function device and to one or more third network function devices included in the core network, access to at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7C, [0104], [0105] note In operation 20, the AMF 106 stores the GroupID as associated to the SUPI-1 as part of the AMF context data for the communication device 100. In operation 21, the process of operations 7-15 are repeated whenever a SUPI not falling within the range of cached ranges in the AMF 106 for the cached Group information is received.).
Merono Vazquez fails to teach wherein providing the access comprises: transmitting, to one or more third network function devices, as part of session setup or registration procedure, a message that includes the at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier. Das explains the AMF signaling to the UDM group ID to other NFs when the UE establishes a PDU session (see Das [0059]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Merono Vazquez to include the recited teaching of Das. Such a modification would improve Merono Vazquez by allowing a SMF, SMSF, or a new AMF to invoke UDM services using the UDM group ID (see Das [0059]).
Consider claim 2, Merono Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein transmitting the request for the indication of the UDM device comprises:
transmitting an indication of a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI) associated with a user profile that is associated with a user device, wherein the user profile is assigned to the UDM device, and wherein the SUPI is associated with the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note To discover which UDM(s) can serve the request for the related SUPI, the AMF 106 performs a query towards NRF. The query includes the target NF type (in this case, UDM) and the SUPI. The NRF 112 performs a SUPI lookup, finds the associated GroupID for the SUPI range matching the SUPI, and returns all UDMs which registered the same GroupID).
Consider claim 5, Merono Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein transmitting the request comprises: transmitting the request to a network repository function (NRF) device included in the core network (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note In operations 8-10, the AMF 106 needs to contact a UDM 108 to manage the communication device 100 registration. To discover which UDM(s) can serve the request for the related SUPI, the AMF 106 performs a query towards NRF); and wherein receiving the indication of the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier comprises: receiving the indication of the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier from the NRF device (see Merono Vazquez [0069], [0076] note UDM and UDR grouped together).
Consider claim 6, Merono Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein the request explicitly indicates for the NRF device to provide the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0076], [0077] note The NRF 112 performs a SUPI lookup, finds the associated GroupID for the SUPI range matching the SUPI, and returns all UDMs which registered the same GroupID. Each UDM instance profile returned indicates (in addition to the GroupID) that the GroupID mapping is hosted in the NRF 112 where the UDM and UDR are grouped together).
Consider claim 7, Merono-Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein the request explicitly indicates for the NRF device to provide only the UDM group identifier (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note The NRF 112 performs a SUPI lookup, finds the associated GroupID for the SUPI range matching the SUPI, and returns all UDMs which registered the same GroupID. Each UDM instance profile returned indicates (in addition to the GroupID) that the GroupID mapping is hosted in the NRF 112).
Consider claim 8, Merono-Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein receiving the indication of the UDM group identifier and the UDR group identifier comprises: receiving the UDM group identifier from a network repository function (NRF) device (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, [0077] note The NRF 112 performs a SUPI lookup, finds the associated GroupID for the SUPI range matching the SUPI, and returns all UDMs which registered the same GroupID. Each UDM instance profile returned indicates (in addition to the GroupID) that the GroupID mapping is hosted in the NRF 112); and receiving the UDR group identifier from the UDM device (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7C, [0083] note operation 18, when the UDM 108 receives the registration request from the AMF 106, the UDM 108 selects a UDR 110 with the same exact GroupID as the UDM 108. Since the UDM 108 belongs to a GroupID, no matter the SUPI received, the UDM 108 selects one of the UDRs 110 having registered in the NRF 112 (as part of the UDR NF profile) with the same GroupID the UDM 108 belongs to. The registration data is stored in the UDR 110. In operation 19, the AMF 106 receives information on the UDR 110 selected by the UDM 108).
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Merono Vazquez as modified by Das, and further in view of Pub No.: US-20230164523-A1 (herein “Wu”).
Consider claim 3, Merono Vazquez as modified by Das teaches wherein the first network function device comprises an access and mobility management function (AMF) device (see Merono Vazquez Fig. 7A, note AMF 106).
Merono Vazquez as modified by Das fails to teach wherein providing access to the at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier to the one or more third network function devices comprises: transmitting the indication of the at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier to at least one of: a policy control function (PCF) device, or a session management function (SMF) device. However, Wu explains that the UDM may send a correspondence between the data type and a group identifier to the AMF, and then the AMF sends the correspondence to the PCF, so that the PCF may generate a corresponding policy for the first terminal device to use (see Wu [0254]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Merono Vazquez as modified by Das to include the recited teaching of Wu. Such a modification would improve Merono Vazquez as modified by Das by allowing the PCF to accurately obtain data corresponding to a group to which a terminal device belongs and to further generate a policy of the terminal device (see Wu [0006]).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Merono Vazquez as modified by Das, and further in view of Pub No.: US-20220124079-A1 (herein “Patil”)
Consider claim 4, Merono Vazquez as modified by Das fails to teach wherein the first network function device comprises an authentication server function (AUSF) device; and wherein providing access to the at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier to the one or more third network function devices comprises: transmitting the indication of the at least one of the UDM group identifier or the UDR group identifier to an access and mobility management function (AMF) device. Patil teaches an AUSF sending discovery request to the NRF for identify a UDM to decode a SUCI to obtain a SUPI to identifying a UDM that handles authentication for the particular SUPI. Upon discovery of the UDM, the AUSF sending the GET SUPI to the UDM before sending the SUPI to the AMF with authentication response (see Patil Fig. 4, Fig. 5, [0044]-[0447]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Merono Vazquez as modified by Das to include the recited teaching of Patil. Such a modification would improve Merono Vazquez as modified by Das by identifying a UDM that handles authentication successfully (see Patil [0046]-[0047])
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.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCUS C HAMMONDS whose telephone number is (571)270-3193. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ALISON T. SLATER can be reached at (571)270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARCUS HAMMONDS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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