CTFR 18/279,429 CTFR 77446 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. This Office action is in response to the amendment filed on 01/02/2026. Claims 1-5, 7-8, 11-15 and 17-21 are presented for examination. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-5, 7-8, 11-15 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (WO 2020/038151 A1, recited in IDS dated 08/30/2023), in view of LI et al. (US 2023/0019000 A1) . As to claim 1, Wang discloses the invention as claimed, including a method performed by a first Network Repository Function (i.e., primary Network-Function Repository Function) NRF (Figs. 2-3; ¶0039, “there is provided a method implemented at a primary Network-Function Repository Function, NRF, in a communication network, wherein the communication network comprising at least one primary NRF and at least one secondary NRFs”) , the method comprising: receiving a discovery request from a Network Function (NF), service consumer for one or more NF profiles of one or more NF instances deployed in a separate entity (Fig. 3, “Regional NF”; ¶0028, “register its NF profile e.g. supported NF services and other NF instance information in NRF and make it available to be discovered by other NF(s); Discovery service enable NF service consumer to discover the service provided by NF service provider by query the NRF”; ¶00116, “the NF X (a service consumer, e.g. AMF) triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”) , the discovery request comprising a realm or domain name of an associated User Equipment (UE) (¶00100, “As the service query parameters, it refers the filtering criteria that is included in the discovery request; it shall at least include the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”); identifying a second NRF in the separate entity based on the realm or domain name of an identifier of the associated UE (i.e., UE identity, UE IP address, SUPI, GPSI) (¶00100, “the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”; ¶00116, “triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”; ¶00132; ¶00135, “The selection can be based on the service query parameters and/or the available routing table information. For example, the service query parameter, SUPI, can link to SUPI range of a routing information record. The central NRF then selects the NRF associated with that routing information record”) ; and sending a discovery request to the second NRF for the one or more NF profiles of the one or more NF instances deployed in the separate entity (¶0007, “The NF service discovery is implemented by using the NRF. The NF selection consists in selecting one NF instance among the NF instance(s) discovered during the NF service discovery”; ¶0027-¶0028; ¶0041, “wherein the discovery request comprises a service query information for a target NF, determining if the secondary NRF contains the target NF based on the service query information”; ¶0086, “sends the discovery request to one regional NRF at first time, and then the regional NRF will check if it contains the target NF”; ¶0092, “sends the discovery request the regional NRFs selected. The regional NRFs will check the information stored in itself to find if it contains the NF (the target NF) that can provide the service to the NF X”; ¶00101, “sends the discovery request including the service query parameters to the regional NRF #1 (regional NRF #1 and the NF X are in the same region A), and the regional NRF #1 will receive the discovery request at the block 502”). Wang does not specifically disclose wherein the first NRF is in a first Standalone Non-Public Network, SNPN. However, LI discloses wherein the first NRF is in a first Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN) (Abstract, “the first NRF are located in a first network, and the first request includes SNPN information of the first network and/or the second network”; ¶0005; ¶0007, “where the first NF and the first NRF are located in a first network, the first request is used to request an access token, the access token is used to access a service of a second NF in a second network, and the first request includes standalone non-public network SNPN information of the first network”; ¶0017, “A first network repository function NRF receives a first request from a first network function NF, where the first NF and the first NRF are located in a first network, the first request is used to request an access token, the access token is used to access a service of a second NF in a second network, and the first request includes standalone non-public network SNPN information of the first network”; ¶0020). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Wang to include wherein the first NRF is in a first Standalone Non-Public Network, SNPN, as taught by LI because it would manage information and resources fully isolated from the public network, thereby improving network reliability and security (LI; ¶0012; ¶0014). As to claim 2, Wang discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the discovery request comprises a Subscription Concealed Identifier (SUCI) of the associated UE, the SUCI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE, and identifying the second NRF in the separate entity comprises identifying the second NRF in the separate entity based on the realm or domain name of the associated UE (¶0020, “Routing ID part of SUCI (Subscription Concealed Identifier)”; ¶0090; ¶00100, “the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”; ¶00116, “triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”; ¶00132; ¶00135, “The selection can be based on the service query parameters and/or the available routing table information. For example, the service query parameter, SUPI, can link to SUPI range of a routing information record. The central NRF then selects the NRF associated with that routing information record”). As to claim 3, Wang discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the discovery request comprises a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUCI) of the associated UE, the SUPI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE, and identifying the second NRF in the separate entity comprises identifying the second NRF in the separate entity based on the realm or domain name of the associated UE (¶0020, “Routing ID part of SUCI (Subscription Concealed Identifier)”; ¶0090; ¶00100, “the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”; ¶00116, “triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”; ¶00132; ¶00135, “The selection can be based on the service query parameters and/or the available routing table information. For example, the service query parameter, SUPI, can link to SUPI range of a routing information record. The central NRF then selects the NRF associated with that routing information record”). As to claim 4, Wang discloses the method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving a discovery response from the second NRF, the discovery response received from the second NRF comprising the one or more NF profiles of the one or more NF instances deployed in the separate entity; and sending a discovery response to the NF service consumer, the discovery response sent to the NF service consumer (i.e., AMF, NF X, service consumer) comprising the one or more NF profiles of the one or more NF instances deployed in the separate entity (Fig. 7, 716; ¶0041, “wherein the discovery request comprises a service query information for a target NF, determining if the secondary NRF contains the target NF based on the service query information, sending response to the primary NRF”; ¶0044; ¶0085; ¶0087, “when a regional NRF checks that it contains the target NF, it includes the target NF information and/or the information of itself (this regional NRF) into the response, and sends the response to the central NRF, after the central NRF receives the response, it will update the routing table, and then when the central NRF received a discovery request from the regional NRF, such as Regional NRF #1, it will select one or more regional NRFs based on the routing table and/or the service query information”; ¶00124, “At 716, the regional NRF #1 then response the successful result and NF profile of NF Y back to NF X”). As to claim 5, Wang discloses the method claim 1 wherein the discovery request received from the NF service consumer further comprises a Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) Identifier (ID) of the separate entity, and identifying the second NRF comprises identifying the second NRF in the separate entity based on: (a) the realm or domain name of the associated UE and (b) the PLMN ID of the separate entity (¶0078, “he methods may be implemented at a primary NRF (the Central NRF shown in FIG. 3) such as PLMN NRF”; ¶0090, “following information of the NRF: NF instance ID, NF type; service name, PLMN ID, FQDN, S-NSSAI, NSI, IP address, region ID, ECGi, NCGI, TAI; DNN, group ID, SUPI ranges, GPSI ranges, external Group Identifiers Ranges; Data Set ID; routing ID of SUCI”). As to claim 7, LI discloses wherein the separate entity is a second SNPN that is separate from the first SNPN (¶0008, “when the first network is an SNPN network, the first NF adds the SNPN information of the first network to the first request, or when the second network is an SNPN network, the first NF adds the SNPN information of the second network to the first request”; ¶0020, “the second NRF is located in a second network, the first request is used to request an access token, the access token is used to access a service of a second network function NF in the second network, and the first request includes standalone non-public network SNPN information of the first network”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Wang to include wherein the separate entity is a second SNPN that is separate from the first SNPN, as taught by LI because it would manage information and resources fully isolated from the public network, thereby improving network reliability and security (LI; ¶0012; ¶0014). As to claim 8, Wang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the discovery request sent to the second NRF comprises information that indicates that the NF service consumer is a requestor of the discovery service (¶0028, “Discovery service enable NF service consumer to discover the service provided by NF service provider by query the NRF; Depending on the requesting NF and the target NF, different input parameters is included in the discovery request then enable NRF to find a target NF that registered in NRF can serves the requesting NF best”; ¶00116, “the NF X (a service consumer, e.g. AMF) triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”). As to claim 11, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth in claim 1 above. In addition, Wang discloses a network node for implementing a first Network Repository Function, NRF, the network node comprising: processing circuitry configured to cause the network node (Fig. 9; ¶0042-0048). As to claims 12-15, they are rejected for the same reasons set forth in claims 2-5 respectively. As to claims 17-18, they are rejected for the same reasons set forth in claims 7-8 respectively . 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (WO 2020/038151 A1), in view of Wang et al. (US 2020/0296660 A1, hereinafter Wang ‘660) . As to claim 19, Wang discloses a method performed by a Network Function (NF) the method comprising: determining a realm or domain name of the UE (i.e., UE identity, UE IP address, SUPI, GPSI) (¶00100, “the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”; ¶00116, “triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”; ¶00132; ¶00135, “The selection can be based on the service query parameters and/or the available routing table information. For example, the service query parameter, SUPI, can link to SUPI range of a routing information record. The central NRF then selects the NRF associated with that routing information record”) ; sending a discovery request to a first Network Repository Function (NRF) for one or more NF profiles of one or more NF instances deployed in a separate entity (¶0007, “The NF service discovery is implemented by using the NRF. The NF selection consists in selecting one NF instance among the NF instance(s) discovered during the NF service discovery”; ¶0027-¶0028; ¶0041, “wherein the discovery request comprises a service query information for a target NF, determining if the secondary NRF contains the target NF based on the service query information”; ¶0086, “sends the discovery request to one regional NRF at first time, and then the regional NRF will check if it contains the target NF”; ¶0092, “sends the discovery request the regional NRFs selected. The regional NRFs will check the information stored in itself to find if it contains the NF (the target NF) that can provide the service to the NF X”; ¶00101, “sends the discovery request including the service query parameters to the regional NRF #1 (regional NRF #1 and the NF X are in the same region A), and the regional NRF #1 will receive the discovery request at the block 502”) , the discovery request comprising the realm or domain name of the UE (¶00100, “As the service query parameters, it refers the filtering criteria that is included in the discovery request; it shall at least include the URI query parameters of Nnrf_NFDiscovery service and subcriptionData of Nnrf_NFManagement service as defined in 3GPP 29.510. The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”) ; receiving a discovery response from the first NRF (Fig. 7, 716; ¶0041, “wherein the discovery request comprises a service query information for a target NF, determining if the secondary NRF contains the target NF based on the service query information, sending response to the primary NRF”; ¶0044; ¶0085; ¶0087, “when a regional NRF checks that it contains the target NF, it includes the target NF information and/or the information of itself (this regional NRF) into the response, and sends the response to the central NRF, after the central NRF receives the response, it will update the routing table, and then when the central NRF received a discovery request from the regional NRF, such as Regional NRF #1, it will select one or more regional NRFs based on the routing table and/or the service query information”; ¶00124, “At 716, the regional NRF #1 then response the successful result and NF profile of NF Y back to NF X”). Although Wang discloses a requester User Equipment, UE (Table; ¶0063-¶0064), Wang does not specifically disclose receiving a message from a User Equipment, UE. However, Wang ‘660 discloses receiving a message from a User Equipment, UE (¶0033, “the user equipment or integrated circuit card is further configured to transmit a message that includes a subscription concealed identifier”; ¶0064, “The network equipment 26 may correspondingly receive at least a portion of the SUCI 34, e.g., in a message from the user equipment 12, the ICC 12A, or other network equipment in the network 10”; ¶0084, “The user equipment 12 and/or ICC 12A may then transmit a message that includes the SUCI or SUCI portion 34, e.g., such as a registration message or attachment request message”; ¶0119). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Wang to include receiving a message from a User Equipment, UE, as taught by Wang ‘660 because it would allow the user equipment to initiate and establish network connections, thereby enabling a cellular network to provide service delivery and network efficiency (Wang ‘660; ¶0220-¶0221). As to claim 20, Wang discloses the method of claim 19, wherein the NF is an AMF (¶00116, “the NF X (a service consumer, e.g. AMF) triggers discover “NF Y” (a service producer, e.g. UDM) with the service query parameters towards its own regional NRF, i.e. regional NRF #1; Within the discovery request, there are the service query parameters e.g. SUPI”). As to claim 21, Wang discloses the method of claim 19 or 20, wherein the discovery response comprises an address of the separate entity or an address of a second NRF of the separate entity (Fig. 7, 716; ¶0041, “wherein the discovery request comprises a service query information for a target NF, determining if the secondary NRF contains the target NF based on the service query information, sending response to the primary NRF”; ¶0044; ¶0085; ¶0087, “when a regional NRF checks that it contains the target NF, it includes the target NF information and/or the information of itself (this regional NRF) into the response, and sends the response to the central NRF, after the central NRF receives the response, it will update the routing table, and then when the central NRF received a discovery request from the regional NRF, such as Regional NRF #1, it will select one or more regional NRFs based on the routing table and/or the service query information”; ¶00124, “At 716, the regional NRF #1 then response the successful result and NF profile of NF Y back to NF X”) . 07-37 AIA Applicant's arguments filed on 01/02/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant asserts on page 8 of Remarks that “Applicant respectfully submits that the combination of Wang and Li does not disclose or suggest the feature "identifying a second NRF in the separate entity based on the realm or domain name of an identifier of the associated UE" of amended independent Claim 1”. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Wang discloses multiple NRFs are deployed in the different networks (i.e., separate entities; PLMN, VPLMN, HPLMN) (¶0030, “In the Network Slicing scenario, multiple NRFs can be deployed at different levels based on network implementation”; ¶0034, “In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs may be deployed in the different networks”; ¶0035, “the NRF(s) in the Visited PLMN (known as the vNRF) configured for the visited PLMN”; ¶0036, “the NRF(s) in the Home PLMN (known as the hNRF) configured for the home PLMN, referenced by the vNRF via the N27 interface”). Wang further discloses determining a second NRF (i.e., next hop NRF) in the separate entity based on the query parameters such as FQDN, URI, IP address, TAI, cell ID, node ID, UE IP address, UE identity e.g. SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier), GPSI (Generic Public Subscription Identifier), group ID, or routing ID of SUCI (¶0074; ¶0106; ¶0141). It is noted that the query parameters listed, specifically SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier), GPSI (Generic Public Subscription Identifier), FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), and SUCI (Subscription Concealed Identifier) disclose the realm or domain name of an identifier of the associated User Equipment (UE) that is well known in the art . In addition, claims 2 and 3 of present application recite “ the SUCI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE ” in claim 2; and “ the SUPI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE ”. Therefore, Wang explicitly discloses identifying a second NRF (i.e., next hop NRF) in the separate entity based on the realm or domain name of an identifier of the associated UE (¶0074; ¶0093-¶0097; ¶0106, “The service query parameters may comprise at least one of the following: NFType, service Name, NF SetID, PLMN ID, FQDN, URI, IP address, NSSAI, NSI, DNN, TAI, cell ID (E-UTRAN Cell Global Identifier, ECGI, NR Cell Global Identifier, NCGI), NF instance ID, AMF region ID, AMF set ID, GUAM, UE IP address, UE identity (e.g. SUPI, GPSI, group ID), or routing ID of SUCI etc”; ¶0141, "the central NRF checks the input service query parameters and determines the next hop NRF(s) to be queried. The selection can be based on the service query parameters and/or the available routing table information. For example, the service query parameter, SUPI, can link to SUPI range of a routing information record . The central NRF then selects the NRF associated with that routing information record "). Applicant asserts on pages 10-11 of Remarks that “Wang describes NF X (e.g., AMF) sending discovery requests with conventional 29.510 parameters such as SUPI, NFType, PLMN ID, etc., not with a realm or domain name of the UE derived from a UE message and used as a routing key for cross-entity NRF discovery. Wang '660, in turn, concerns SUCI generation and transmission by a UE; it does not disclose that an NF derives a realm/domain from such a message and then uses that realm/domain in an NRF discovery request for NF profiles in a "separate entity" as claimed. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Again, it is noted that the query parameters listed, specifically SUPI (Subscription Permanent Identifier), GPSI (Generic Public Subscription Identifier), FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name), and SUCI (Subscription Concealed Identifier) inherently or directly disclose the realm or domain name of an identifier of the associated User Equipment (UE) that is well known in the art . In addition, claims 2 and 3 of present application recite “ the SUCI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE ” in claim 2; and “ the SUPI of the associated UE comprises the realm or domain name of the associated UE ”. Wang '660 discloses determining the realm or domain name of the UE (Abstract, “ The SUCI (34) contains a concealed subscription permanent identifier, SUPI, (20) for the subscriber (13) . The received at least a portion of the SUCI (34) indicates a sub-domain code, SDC, (32) . The SDC (32) indicates a certain sub-domain, from among multiple sub-domains (30-1, 30-2, . . . 30-N) of a home network of the subscriber (13), to which the subscriber (13) is assigned . The network equipment (26) is also configured to determine, based on the SDC (32) and from among multiple instances (24-1, 24-2, . . . 24-M) of a provider network function in the home network respectively allocated to provide a service to be consumed for subscribers assigned to different sub-domains, an instance of the provider network function to provide the service to be consumed for the subscriber (13)”; ¶0067, “the sub-domain code may also be added to the SUPI 20, or provisioned separately in the user equipment 12 and/or ICC 12A. Where the sub-domain code is added to the SUPI 20, the SUPI 20 may use the NAI format. The sub-domain code may be added to the realm part of the NAI which would require no changes to the NAI format described in the IETF RFC 4282 or in the 3GPP specifications. Examples of such encoding may be username@SDC.homerealm.example.net or SDC.homerealm.example.net!username@visitedrealm.example.net. Here, the “username” corresponds to the MSIN, and the “realm” corresponds to the MCC+MNC. In the NAI syntax of the SUCI, the username is encrypted, and the HN public key identifier field and/or the encryption scheme field is incorporated”). Wang discloses multiple NRFs are deployed across different networks (i.e., separate entities; PLMN, VPLMN, HPLMN) (¶0093, “In the context of roaming, multiple NRFs may be deployed in the different networks, including the NRF(s) in the Visited PLMN (vNRF) configured with information for the visited PLMN, and the NRF(s) in the Home PLMN (hNRF) configured with information for the home PLMN, referenced by the vNRF via the N27 interface”; ¶0094, “The consumer NF (say an AMF 56) is located in the VPLMN, and the producer NF (say an AUSF 60 or UDM 62) is located in the HPLMN”). Wang '660 discloses sending a discovery request to a first Network Repository Function (i.e., invoke NF discovery service towards the NRF 66 to discover and select) for one or more NF profiles of one or more NF instances (i.e., UDM or AUSF) deployed in a separate entity (i.e., PLMN, HPLMN, VPLMN) (¶0094, “The NF/NF service discovery across PLMNs works as follows (based on 3GPP TS 23.502, clause 4.17.5). The consumer NF (say an AMF 56) is located in the VPLMN, and the producer NF (say an AUSF 60 or UDM 62) is located in the HPLMN. The consumer NF first contacts the vNRF. The vNRF then triggers the NF discovery on behalf of the NR consumer towards the hNRF”; ¶0098, “the AMF 56 contacts an NRF 66 to discover an NF instance of type UDM. The NRF 66 discovers and returns 10 UDM instances to the AMF 56”; ¶0099; ¶0109, “those NFs which could be discovered later may register their support for discovery based on the SDC and any other necessary routing information. In our example, it is the UDM 62 where SIDF is collocated”; ¶0111; ¶0120, “In Step 4, the AMF 56, based on local configuration or operator's policy, can invoke NF discovery service towards the NRF 66 to discover and select a correct AUSF instance to handle the NG UE's authentication. (Note that, in some use cases, if the AMF 56 has to discover UDM 62 first, the AMF 56 may discover a UDM instance directly in this step). Note that with roaming context, AMF 56 contacts vNRF, and vNRF contacts hNRF (not shown in the figure)"; ¶0144, “receiving a discovery request for discovering one or more instances of the provider network function in the home network to provide the service for the subscriber and responding to the discovery request with the selected instance of the provider network function”), the discovery request comprising the realm or domain name of the UE (¶0110, “ The request comprises at least the SUCI. The SUCI in turn comprises of at least the MCC, MNC, encrypted MSIN, and HN public key identifier field ”; ¶0120, “invoke NF discovery service towards the NRF 66 to discover and select a correct AUSF instance to handle the NG UE's authentication…The AMF 56 uses the received SUCI or some parts of the received SUCI, e.g., only the HN public key identifier field, as input for NF instance selection ”; ¶0124, “ invoke NF discovery service towards NRF 66 to find and select a correct UDM/SIDF instance to handle the UE's authentication request and de-conceal or decrypt the SUCI ”; ¶0133, “ enabling discovery of an NF instance suitable for handling a subscriber's request. The method comprises constructing a sub-domain code. The sub-domain code may identify a sub-domain, e.g., so as to effectively identifier an NF instance (e.g., AUSF/SIDF/UDM) suitable for handling a subscriber ”). 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 JUNGWON CHANG whose telephone number is (571)272-3960. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5:30PM. 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If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /JUNGWON CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2454 March 27, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 2 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 3 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 4 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 5 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 6 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 7 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 8 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 9 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 10 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 11 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 12 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 13 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 14 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 15 Art Unit: 2454 Application/Control Number: 18/279,429 Page 16 Art Unit: 2454