DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 04/10/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-8, 10-15, 17, and 21 remain pending in the application.
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on 04/10/2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of any patent granted in Application 18/330,338 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks filed 04/10/2026, regarding the rejection of the claims under 35 U.S.C. 103, have been fully considered but are moot because they do not apply to the new combination of references being used in the current rejection, as necessitated by applicant’s amendments to the claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-8, 10-11, 13-14 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US 2016/0164883), in view of Kang et al (US 2020/0404501), and further in view of Hayes (US 2023/0388217).
Regarding Claim 1, Li teaches a source wireless device comprising: wireless circuitry comprising one or more antennas; and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry and to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors ([0008], Fig. 4 showing active device), configure the source wireless device to:
send, to the target wireless device, a request to initiate a secure Bluetooth connection between the source wireless device and the target wireless device ([0027], Fig. 2, Beginning in step S210, the active device 15 starts provisioning of the inactive device 20. Provisioning may occur using a short range wireless or wired connection, such as Bluetooth);
establish the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device after successful verification of the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an authentication procedure ([0029], Fig. 2, Continuing now to steps S220 and S225, active device 10 authenticates and pairs with inactive device 20. The authentication in step S220 of the provisioning transaction process can take place using a secure method on the active device 15 to ensure that access by inactive device 20 is authorized, and may involve entry by one or more of a password, biometric data, etc. More specifically, examples of authentication factors can include: fingerprint (determined by sensor on the device), facial recognition (facial image extracted from still or video images taken by the device); passcode (PIN or password entered by touch or speech on the device); speech recognition (voice print entered by speaking to device); gesture (entered by touch on the device or by moving the device). The same authentication factors may be employed during the subscriber confirmation step that takes place on inactive device 20, as discussed earlier.);
receive, from the target wireless device, a plan transfer request to transfer a particular cellular wireless service plan associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an electronic SIM (eSIM) ([0028], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S215, the inactive device 20 confirms whether the subscriber intends to activate inactive device 20 on a carrier network 10 in response to the initiation of the provisioning process by active device 15. The subscriber's intent can be confirmed by displaying a prompt and receiving user input indicating acceptance. The confirmation step may further include receiving a password or biometric input from the subscriber to accept the transfer or sharing of credentials with inactive device 20);
obtain, from a mobile network operator (MNO) entitlement server, a transfer token associated with associated with a new eSIM reserved for transfer of the particular cellular wireless service plan ([0032-0035], Fig. 2, In step S230, the active device 15 requests temporary identification credentials (“tempID”) from the carrier ID server 28. The tempID can be a temporary international mobile subscriber identity (“TIMSI”) or temporary IMEI number. In response to receiving the temp ID request, in step S235 the carrier ID server 28 generates a tempID. A temporary IMEI or a set of temporary IMEIs of the inactive device 20 can be generated and allocated in the same manner as the TIMSI. When this occurs, the temporary IMEI bears a relationship to the IMEI of the subscriber that is similar to the link shared between the TIMSI of the inactive device 20 and the IMSI of the active device 15. Accordingly, a temporary IMEI or TIMSI of the inactive device 20 can both be linked to the respective IMEI or IMSI of the active device 15, while also allowing separate detachment of the inactive device 20 from the network 10 for security in the event of a network attack. A subscriber can also change/switch/adapt a device profile of an inactive device 20 by activating the inactive device 20 with a different type of IMEI); and
send, to the target wireless device, a plan transfer response that includes the transfer token ([0036], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S240, after receiving the tempID from the carrier ID server 28, active device 15 transmits the tempID to inactive device 20).
Li fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Kang teaches send, to the target wireless device, a list of cellular wireless service plans of the source wireless device([0110], When the end user 200 requests a plan purchase and thus eSIM Setup initiation is detected (operation 231), the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 may request the OCF App 207 of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 for information of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 and eUICC information. The delivered Device/eUICC information is transferred to a server of a communication service provider (operation 320), and the communication service provider may determine whether there is a communication service being available for the eSIM IoT terminal 203, based on the transferred Device/eUICC information, may select plan information, and may transfer the plan information as a response to the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 (operation 325));
receive, from a target wireless device, a Bluetooth advertisement beacon including an action type indicating a request to transfer a cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device ([0099], When the End User 200 unboxes and turns on power of the eSIM IoT terminal 203, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may create SoftAP and may transmit a signal (operation 215). Also, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may generate a beacon by using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth (BT) technology and may transmit the beacon. The End User 200 may execute the OCF App 211 for managing an IoT terminal in the primary terminal 209 (e.g., a smartphone), and the primary terminal 209 may collect AP information by scanning surroundings, may detect that the IoT terminal supports the OCF standard, based on terminal identification information (e.g., a service set identifier (SSID) and a terminal name) being collected and displayed on the primary terminal 209 and information transmitted via the beacon, and may detect that the IoT terminal is an unboxed terminal for which an Easysetup procedure is required (operation 217). Identifier information identifying Easysetup from among Easysetups may be added to the information transmitted via the beacon. When the primary terminal 209 detects the IoT terminal, the primary terminal 209 may attempt to access a corresponding OCF terminal, in response to selection by the End User 200 or setting of the primary terminal 209 (operation 219);
where the wireless service plan is selected by the target wireless device from the list of cellular wireless service plans provided to the target wireless device by the source wireless device ([0098], In an operation, performed by a terminal, of selecting a plan and directly providing a communication opening service, the primary terminal 209 may transfer AP information of the primary terminal 209 to the Enrollee 203 and may simultaneously provide a communication network to the Enrollee 203 and thus may operate as an Enroller. In the disclosure, in a case where a primary terminal is described as an Enroller, the primary terminal may operate not only as the Enroller but may also operate as a Mediator. A Service Provider Server 213 collectively refers to a server of a service provider providing a communication service opening service, the server processing subscription, authentication, and payment related to a communication service, and issuing an activation code. The server may be configured of one server or a bundle of different servers, [0100], When the primary terminal 209 joins an AP of the IoT terminal 203 (operation 219), the primary terminal 209 may collect a list of resources provided by the IoT terminal 203 (operation 221). The primary terminal 209 may detect, from the list, whether (Wi-Fi) Easysetup and eSIM Easysetup are supported. Also, the primary terminal 209 may check whether the IoT terminal 203 is an eSIM terminal by identifying a device type of the OCF terminal. In a case where the primary terminal 209 determines that the eSIM Easysetup is supported, based on the list of resources of the IoT terminal 203, and detects that the IoT terminal 203 requires an initial setup, based on particular identification information (e.g., an Easysetup identifier included in the beacon) obtained from the IoT terminal 203, the primary terminal 209 may additionally configure a button of “communication service plan purchase” and display the button on a UI of a screen (operation 227)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the advertisement beacon of Kang in the system of Li in order to more efficiently request and receive responses for subscription and provisioning assistance.
Li, modified by Kang, fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Hayes teaches when (i) a sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon equals a corresponding sequence number of a previously received Bluetooth advertisement beacon from the target wireless device for transfer of cellular wireless service ([0112] FIG. 4A is a flow diagram of an example procedure 400 for processing advertisement messages. The procedure 400 may be performed by a router device (e.g., leader device or another router device). For example, the router device may enter the procedure 400 at 402 and may receive an advertisement message from another router device at 404. The advertisement message may include a sequence number. At 406, the router device may determine whether the received sequence number in the advertisement message is different from the sequence number currently being used by the router device for transmission of its own advertisement messages) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon does not include a unique identifier for the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113] If the sequence number is recognized as being previously received by the router device, the router device may determine at 410 whether the sequence number was previously received from a non-leader router device. If the sequence number in the advertisement message was previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device, the advertisement message may be ignored and/or discarded); and
when (i) the sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon differs from the corresponding sequence number of Bluetooth advertisement beacons for transfer of cellular wireless service previously received from the target wireless device ([0112], If the received sequence number is different from the sequence number currently stored at the router device for being included in its own advertisement messages, the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon includes the unique identifier associated with the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), don’t ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113], If the sequence number was not previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device (e.g., previously received by a leader device or failed to be previously received), the advertisement message may be processed at 414, [0112], the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408, which proceeds to process the advertisement message at 414).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate checking the sequence number before processing the advertisement beacon, as taught in Hayes, in the system of Li modified by Kang, in order to conserve power and resources by only processing messages not already received or not intended for the device.
Regarding Claim 2, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 1 above, where Li further teaches the authentication procedure comprises the source wireless device further configured to: receive, from the target wireless device, an authentication request; obtain, via an input/output of the source wireless device, a personal identification number (PIN) code value; and send, to the target wireless device, an authentication response that includes the PIN code value ([0029], Continuing now to steps S220 and S225, active device 10 authenticates and pairs with inactive device 20. The authentication in step S220 of the provisioning transaction process can take place using a secure method on the active device 15 to ensure that access by inactive device 20 is authorized, and may involve entry by one or more of a password, biometric data, etc. More specifically, examples of authentication factors can include: fingerprint (determined by sensor on the device), facial recognition (facial image extracted from still or video images taken by the device); passcode (PIN or password entered by touch or speech on the device); speech recognition (voice print entered by speaking to device); gesture (entered by touch on the device or by moving the device). The same authentication factors may be employed during the subscriber confirmation step that takes place on inactive device 20, as discussed earlier).
Regarding Claim 4, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 1 above. The combination further teaches wherein source wireless device is configured to provide the unique identifier for the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an out-of-band communication channel other than the secure Bluetooth connection (Embodiment not invoked)
Regarding Claim 5, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 4 above. The combination further teaches wherein the source wireless device is further configured to upload the unique identifier for the source wireless device to a cloud network service associated with the source wireless device and the target wireless device. (Embodiment not invoked)
Regarding Claim 6, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 5 above. The combination further teaches wherein the source wireless device is further configured to ignore Bluetooth advertisement beacons that do not include the unique identifier for the source wireless device. (Embodiment not invoked)
Regarding Claim 7, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 5 above. The combination further teaches wherein the source wireless device is further configured to: present, via a display of the source wireless device, a notification alert indicating the request to transfer the cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device when the Bluetooth advertisement beacon includes the unique identifier for the source wireless device; and refrain from displaying the notification alert when the Bluetooth advertisement beacon does not include the unique identifier for the source wireless device. (Embodiment not invoked)
Regarding Claim 8, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teaches all aspects of the invention according to Claim 1 above, Hayes further teaches wherein the Bluetooth advertisement beacon includes a sequence number that differs from Bluetooth advertisement beacons, previously received from the target wireless device, which include the action type indicating the request to transfer the cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device ([0112], If the received sequence number is different from the sequence number currently stored at the router device for being included in its own advertisement messages, the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408).
Regarding Claim 10, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 1 above, where Li further teaches wherein the source wireless device is further configured to: measure a received signal strength of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon; and send the request to initiate the secure Bluetooth connection only when the received signal strength satisfies a signal strength threshold ([0029]).
Regarding Claim 11, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 1 above, where Li further teaches wherein the source wireless device obtains user consent to transfer the cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device before establishing the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device ([0028], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S215, the inactive device 20 confirms whether the subscriber intends to activate inactive device 20 on a carrier network 10 in response to the initiation of the provisioning process by active device 15. The subscriber's intent can be confirmed by displaying a prompt and receiving user input indicating acceptance. The confirmation step may further include receiving a password or biometric input from the subscriber to accept the transfer or sharing of credentials with inactive device 20, [0032-0035], Fig. 2, In step S230, the active device 15 requests temporary identification credentials (“tempID”) from the carrier ID server 28. The tempID can be a temporary international mobile subscriber identity (“TIMSI”) or temporary IMEI number. In response to receiving the temp ID request, in step S235 the carrier ID server 28 generates a tempID. A temporary IMEI or a set of temporary IMEIs of the inactive device 20 can be generated and allocated in the same manner as the TIMSI. When this occurs, the temporary IMEI bears a relationship to the IMEI of the subscriber that is similar to the link shared between the TIMSI of the inactive device 20 and the IMSI of the active device 15. Accordingly, a temporary IMEI or TIMSI of the inactive device 20 can both be linked to the respective IMEI or IMSI of the active device 15, while also allowing separate detachment of the inactive device 20 from the network 10 for security in the event of a network attack. A subscriber can also change/switch/adapt a device profile of an inactive device 20 by activating the inactive device 20 with a different type of IMEI).
Regarding Claim 13, Li teaches a method for cellular wireless service transfer from a source wireless device to a target wireless device ([0008], Fig. 4 showing active device), the method comprising:
sending, to the target wireless device, a request to initiate a secure Bluetooth connection between the source wireless device and the target wireless device ([0027], Fig. 2, Beginning in step S210, the active device 15 starts provisioning of the inactive device 20. Provisioning may occur using a short range wireless or wired connection, such as Bluetooth);
establishing the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device after successful verification of the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an authentication procedure ([0029], Fig. 2, Continuing now to steps S220 and S225, active device 10 authenticates and pairs with inactive device 20. The authentication in step S220 of the provisioning transaction process can take place using a secure method on the active device 15 to ensure that access by inactive device 20 is authorized, and may involve entry by one or more of a password, biometric data, etc. More specifically, examples of authentication factors can include: fingerprint (determined by sensor on the device), facial recognition (facial image extracted from still or video images taken by the device); passcode (PIN or password entered by touch or speech on the device); speech recognition (voice print entered by speaking to device); gesture (entered by touch on the device or by moving the device). The same authentication factors may be employed during the subscriber confirmation step that takes place on inactive device 20, as discussed earlier.);
receiving, from the target wireless device, a plan transfer request to transfer a particular cellular wireless service plan associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an electronic SIM (eSIM) ([0028], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S215, the inactive device 20 confirms whether the subscriber intends to activate inactive device 20 on a carrier network 10 in response to the initiation of the provisioning process by active device 15. The subscriber's intent can be confirmed by displaying a prompt and receiving user input indicating acceptance. The confirmation step may further include receiving a password or biometric input from the subscriber to accept the transfer or sharing of credentials with inactive device 20);
obtaining, from a mobile network operator (MNO) entitlement server, a transfer token associated with associated with a new eSIM reserved for transfer of the particular cellular wireless service plan ([0032-0035], Fig. 2, In step S230, the active device 15 requests temporary identification credentials (“tempID”) from the carrier ID server 28. The tempID can be a temporary international mobile subscriber identity (“TIMSI”) or temporary IMEI number. In response to receiving the temp ID request, in step S235 the carrier ID server 28 generates a tempID. A temporary IMEI or a set of temporary IMEIs of the inactive device 20 can be generated and allocated in the same manner as the TIMSI. When this occurs, the temporary IMEI bears a relationship to the IMEI of the subscriber that is similar to the link shared between the TIMSI of the inactive device 20 and the IMSI of the active device 15. Accordingly, a temporary IMEI or TIMSI of the inactive device 20 can both be linked to the respective IMEI or IMSI of the active device 15, while also allowing separate detachment of the inactive device 20 from the network 10 for security in the event of a network attack. A subscriber can also change/switch/adapt a device profile of an inactive device 20 by activating the inactive device 20 with a different type of IMEI); and
sending, to the target wireless device, a plan transfer response that includes the transfer token ([0036], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S240, after receiving the tempID from the carrier ID server 28, active device 15 transmits the tempID to inactive device 20).
Li fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Kang teaches send, to the target wireless device, a list of cellular wireless service plans of the source wireless device([0110], When the end user 200 requests a plan purchase and thus eSIM Setup initiation is detected (operation 231), the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 may request the OCF App 207 of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 for information of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 and eUICC information. The delivered Device/eUICC information is transferred to a server of a communication service provider (operation 320), and the communication service provider may determine whether there is a communication service being available for the eSIM IoT terminal 203, based on the transferred Device/eUICC information, may select plan information, and may transfer the plan information as a response to the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 (operation 325)),
receive, from a target wireless device, a Bluetooth advertisement beacon including an action type indicating a request to transfer a cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device ([0099], When the End User 200 unboxes and turns on power of the eSIM IoT terminal 203, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may create SoftAP and may transmit a signal (operation 215). Also, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may generate a beacon by using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth (BT) technology and may transmit the beacon. The End User 200 may execute the OCF App 211 for managing an IoT terminal in the primary terminal 209 (e.g., a smartphone), and the primary terminal 209 may collect AP information by scanning surroundings, may detect that the IoT terminal supports the OCF standard, based on terminal identification information (e.g., a service set identifier (SSID) and a terminal name) being collected and displayed on the primary terminal 209 and information transmitted via the beacon, and may detect that the IoT terminal is an unboxed terminal for which an Easysetup procedure is required (operation 217). Identifier information identifying Easysetup from among Easysetups may be added to the information transmitted via the beacon. When the primary terminal 209 detects the IoT terminal, the primary terminal 209 may attempt to access a corresponding OCF terminal, in response to selection by the End User 200 or setting of the primary terminal 209 (operation 219);
where the wireless service plan is selected by the target wireless device from a list of cellular wireless service plans provided to the target wireless device by the source wireless device ([0098], In an operation, performed by a terminal, of selecting a plan and directly providing a communication opening service, the primary terminal 209 may transfer AP information of the primary terminal 209 to the Enrollee 203 and may simultaneously provide a communication network to the Enrollee 203 and thus may operate as an Enroller. In the disclosure, in a case where a primary terminal is described as an Enroller, the primary terminal may operate not only as the Enroller but may also operate as a Mediator. A Service Provider Server 213 collectively refers to a server of a service provider providing a communication service opening service, the server processing subscription, authentication, and payment related to a communication service, and issuing an activation code. The server may be configured of one server or a bundle of different servers, [0100], When the primary terminal 209 joins an AP of the IoT terminal 203 (operation 219), the primary terminal 209 may collect a list of resources provided by the IoT terminal 203 (operation 221). The primary terminal 209 may detect, from the list, whether (Wi-Fi) Easysetup and eSIM Easysetup are supported. Also, the primary terminal 209 may check whether the IoT terminal 203 is an eSIM terminal by identifying a device type of the OCF terminal. In a case where the primary terminal 209 determines that the eSIM Easysetup is supported, based on the list of resources of the IoT terminal 203, and detects that the IoT terminal 203 requires an initial setup, based on particular identification information (e.g., an Easysetup identifier included in the beacon) obtained from the IoT terminal 203, the primary terminal 209 may additionally configure a button of “communication service plan purchase” and display the button on a UI of a screen (operation 227)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the advertisement beacon of Kang in the system of Li in order to more efficiently request and receive responses for subscription and provisioning assistance.
Li, modified by Kang, fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Hayes teaches when (i) a sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon equals a corresponding sequence number of a previously received Bluetooth advertisement beacon from the target wireless device for transfer of cellular wireless service ([0112] FIG. 4A is a flow diagram of an example procedure 400 for processing advertisement messages. The procedure 400 may be performed by a router device (e.g., leader device or another router device). For example, the router device may enter the procedure 400 at 402 and may receive an advertisement message from another router device at 404. The advertisement message may include a sequence number. At 406, the router device may determine whether the received sequence number in the advertisement message is different from the sequence number currently being used by the router device for transmission of its own advertisement messages) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon does not include a unique identifier for the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113] If the sequence number is recognized as being previously received by the router device, the router device may determine at 410 whether the sequence number was previously received from a non-leader router device. If the sequence number in the advertisement message was previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device, the advertisement message may be ignored and/or discarded); and
when (i) the sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon differs from the corresponding sequence number of Bluetooth advertisement beacons for transfer of cellular wireless service previously received from the target wireless device ([0112], If the received sequence number is different from the sequence number currently stored at the router device for being included in its own advertisement messages, the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon includes the unique identifier associated with the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), don’t ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113], If the sequence number was not previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device (e.g., previously received by a leader device or failed to be previously received), the advertisement message may be processed at 414, [0112], the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408, which proceeds to process the advertisement message at 414).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate checking the sequence number before processing the advertisement beacon, as taught in Hayes, in the system of Li modified by Kang, in order to conserve power and resources by only processing messages not already received or not intended for the device.
Regarding Claim 14, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teach all aspects of the invention according to Claim 13 above, where Li further teaches wherein the authentication procedure comprises: by the source wireless device: receiving, from the target wireless device, an authentication request; obtaining, via an input/output of the source wireless device, a personal identification number (PIN) code value; and sending, to the target wireless device, an authentication response that includes the PIN code value ([0029], Continuing now to steps S220 and S225, active device 10 authenticates and pairs with inactive device 20. The authentication in step S220 of the provisioning transaction process can take place using a secure method on the active device 15 to ensure that access by inactive device 20 is authorized, and may involve entry by one or more of a password, biometric data, etc. More specifically, examples of authentication factors can include: fingerprint (determined by sensor on the device), facial recognition (facial image extracted from still or video images taken by the device); passcode (PIN or password entered by touch or speech on the device); speech recognition (voice print entered by speaking to device); gesture (entered by touch on the device or by moving the device). The same authentication factors may be employed during the subscriber confirmation step that takes place on inactive device 20, as discussed earlier).
Regarding Claim 21, Li teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions to configure at least one processor of a source wireless device ([0063-0065], active device) to transfer cellular wireless service from the source wireless device to a target wireless device ([0008], Fig. 4 showing active device), the method comprising:
sending, to the target wireless device, a request to initiate a secure Bluetooth connection between the source wireless device and the target wireless device ([0027], Fig. 2, Beginning in step S210, the active device 15 starts provisioning of the inactive device 20. Provisioning may occur using a short range wireless or wired connection, such as Bluetooth);
establishing the secure Bluetooth connection with the target wireless device after successful verification of the source wireless device to the target wireless device via an authentication procedure ([0029], Fig. 2, Continuing now to steps S220 and S225, active device 10 authenticates and pairs with inactive device 20. The authentication in step S220 of the provisioning transaction process can take place using a secure method on the active device 15 to ensure that access by inactive device 20 is authorized, and may involve entry by one or more of a password, biometric data, etc. More specifically, examples of authentication factors can include: fingerprint (determined by sensor on the device), facial recognition (facial image extracted from still or video images taken by the device); passcode (PIN or password entered by touch or speech on the device); speech recognition (voice print entered by speaking to device); gesture (entered by touch on the device or by moving the device). The same authentication factors may be employed during the subscriber confirmation step that takes place on inactive device 20, as discussed earlier.);
receiving, from the target wireless device, a plan transfer request to transfer a particular cellular wireless service plan associated with a subscriber identity module (SIM) or an electronic SIM (eSIM) ([0028], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S215, the inactive device 20 confirms whether the subscriber intends to activate inactive device 20 on a carrier network 10 in response to the initiation of the provisioning process by active device 15. The subscriber's intent can be confirmed by displaying a prompt and receiving user input indicating acceptance. The confirmation step may further include receiving a password or biometric input from the subscriber to accept the transfer or sharing of credentials with inactive device 20);
obtaining, from a mobile network operator (MNO) entitlement server, a transfer token associated with associated with a new eSIM reserved for transfer of the particular cellular wireless service plan ([0032-0035], Fig. 2, In step S230, the active device 15 requests temporary identification credentials (“tempID”) from the carrier ID server 28. The tempID can be a temporary international mobile subscriber identity (“TIMSI”) or temporary IMEI number. In response to receiving the temp ID request, in step S235 the carrier ID server 28 generates a tempID. A temporary IMEI or a set of temporary IMEIs of the inactive device 20 can be generated and allocated in the same manner as the TIMSI. When this occurs, the temporary IMEI bears a relationship to the IMEI of the subscriber that is similar to the link shared between the TIMSI of the inactive device 20 and the IMSI of the active device 15. Accordingly, a temporary IMEI or TIMSI of the inactive device 20 can both be linked to the respective IMEI or IMSI of the active device 15, while also allowing separate detachment of the inactive device 20 from the network 10 for security in the event of a network attack. A subscriber can also change/switch/adapt a device profile of an inactive device 20 by activating the inactive device 20 with a different type of IMEI); and
sending, to the target wireless device, a plan transfer response that includes the transfer token ([0036], Fig. 2, Moving now to step S240, after receiving the tempID from the carrier ID server 28, active device 15 transmits the tempID to inactive device 20).
Li fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Kang teaches send, to the target wireless device, a list of cellular wireless service plans of the source wireless device([0110], When the end user 200 requests a plan purchase and thus eSIM Setup initiation is detected (operation 231), the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 may request the OCF App 207 of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 for information of the eSIM IoT terminal 203 and eUICC information. The delivered Device/eUICC information is transferred to a server of a communication service provider (operation 320), and the communication service provider may determine whether there is a communication service being available for the eSIM IoT terminal 203, based on the transferred Device/eUICC information, may select plan information, and may transfer the plan information as a response to the OCF App 211 of the primary terminal 209 (operation 325)),
receive, from a target wireless device, a Bluetooth advertisement beacon including an action type indicating a request to transfer a cellular wireless service plan to the target wireless device ([0099], When the End User 200 unboxes and turns on power of the eSIM IoT terminal 203, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may create SoftAP and may transmit a signal (operation 215). Also, the eSIM IoT terminal 203 may generate a beacon by using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Bluetooth (BT) technology and may transmit the beacon. The End User 200 may execute the OCF App 211 for managing an IoT terminal in the primary terminal 209 (e.g., a smartphone), and the primary terminal 209 may collect AP information by scanning surroundings, may detect that the IoT terminal supports the OCF standard, based on terminal identification information (e.g., a service set identifier (SSID) and a terminal name) being collected and displayed on the primary terminal 209 and information transmitted via the beacon, and may detect that the IoT terminal is an unboxed terminal for which an Easysetup procedure is required (operation 217). Identifier information identifying Easysetup from among Easysetups may be added to the information transmitted via the beacon. When the primary terminal 209 detects the IoT terminal, the primary terminal 209 may attempt to access a corresponding OCF terminal, in response to selection by the End User 200 or setting of the primary terminal 209 (operation 219);
where the wireless service plan is selected by the target wireless device from a list of cellular wireless service plans provided to the target wireless device by the source wireless device ([0098], In an operation, performed by a terminal, of selecting a plan and directly providing a communication opening service, the primary terminal 209 may transfer AP information of the primary terminal 209 to the Enrollee 203 and may simultaneously provide a communication network to the Enrollee 203 and thus may operate as an Enroller. In the disclosure, in a case where a primary terminal is described as an Enroller, the primary terminal may operate not only as the Enroller but may also operate as a Mediator. A Service Provider Server 213 collectively refers to a server of a service provider providing a communication service opening service, the server processing subscription, authentication, and payment related to a communication service, and issuing an activation code. The server may be configured of one server or a bundle of different servers, [0100], When the primary terminal 209 joins an AP of the IoT terminal 203 (operation 219), the primary terminal 209 may collect a list of resources provided by the IoT terminal 203 (operation 221). The primary terminal 209 may detect, from the list, whether (Wi-Fi) Easysetup and eSIM Easysetup are supported. Also, the primary terminal 209 may check whether the IoT terminal 203 is an eSIM terminal by identifying a device type of the OCF terminal. In a case where the primary terminal 209 determines that the eSIM Easysetup is supported, based on the list of resources of the IoT terminal 203, and detects that the IoT terminal 203 requires an initial setup, based on particular identification information (e.g., an Easysetup identifier included in the beacon) obtained from the IoT terminal 203, the primary terminal 209 may additionally configure a button of “communication service plan purchase” and display the button on a UI of a screen (operation 227)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the advertisement beacon of Kang in the system of Li in order to more efficiently request and receive responses for subscription and provisioning assistance.
Li, modified by Kang, fails to teach the following, which in analogous art, Hayes teaches when (i) a sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon equals a corresponding sequence number of a previously received Bluetooth advertisement beacon from the target wireless device for transfer of cellular wireless service ([0112] FIG. 4A is a flow diagram of an example procedure 400 for processing advertisement messages. The procedure 400 may be performed by a router device (e.g., leader device or another router device). For example, the router device may enter the procedure 400 at 402 and may receive an advertisement message from another router device at 404. The advertisement message may include a sequence number. At 406, the router device may determine whether the received sequence number in the advertisement message is different from the sequence number currently being used by the router device for transmission of its own advertisement messages) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon does not include a unique identifier for the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113] If the sequence number is recognized as being previously received by the router device, the router device may determine at 410 whether the sequence number was previously received from a non-leader router device. If the sequence number in the advertisement message was previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device, the advertisement message may be ignored and/or discarded); and
when (i) the sequence number of the Bluetooth advertisement beacon differs from the corresponding sequence number of Bluetooth advertisement beacons for transfer of cellular wireless service previously received from the target wireless device ([0112], If the received sequence number is different from the sequence number currently stored at the router device for being included in its own advertisement messages, the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408) and/or (ii) the Bluetooth advertisement beacon includes the unique identifier associated with the source wireless device indicating the Bluetooth advertisement beacon is addressed to the source wireless device (Embodiment not invoked), don’t ignore the Bluetooth advertisement beacon ([0113], If the sequence number was not previously received in an advertisement message from a non-leader router device (e.g., previously received by a leader device or failed to be previously received), the advertisement message may be processed at 414, [0112], the router device may store the sequence number for being used in future advertisement messages transmitted from the router device at 408, which proceeds to process the advertisement message at 414).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate checking the sequence number before processing the advertisement beacon, as taught in Hayes, in the system of Li modified by Kang, in order to conserve power and resources by only processing messages not already received or not intended for the device.
Claims 3 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US 2016/0164883), in view of Kang et al (US 2020/0404501), in view of Hayes (US 2023/0388217), and further in view of Jung et al (US 2023/0030914).
Regarding Claims 3 and 15, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teaches all aspects of the invention according to Claims 1 and 13 above, except the following, which in analogous art, Jung teaches wherein the authentication procedure comprises the source wireless device further configured to: scan, via a camera of the source wireless device, a quick response (QR) verification code presented via a display of the target wireless device ([0169], According to various embodiments, as the EAP-AKA authentication is normally complete as described above, the first electronic device 101a may display information for subscription transfer, including the obtained authentication information (e.g., authentication token), on the screen in operation 916. For example, as shown in FIG. 10C, the first electronic device 101a may generate a QR code 1031 based on the information for subscription transfer and the authentication information on the screen and display the generated QR code on the screen. According to various embodiments, the information for subscription transfer may include information regarding the first electronic device 101a. For example, the information regarding the first electronic device 101a may include at least one of the mobile country code (MCC) and mobile network code (MNC), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), eUICC identity (EID), international mobile equipment identity (IMEI), integrated circuit card identity (ICCID), and product model name identified from the profile information stored in the eSIM 201).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate authentication and transfer by QR code, as taught in Jung, in the system of Li modified by Kang and Hayes, in order to provide visual embedding of network subscription information and more efficiently transfer subscriptions through scanning.
Claims 12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US 2016/0164883), in view of Kang et al (US 2020/0404501), in view of Hayes (US 2023/0388217), and further in view of Goyal et al (US 2021/0076204).
Regarding Claims 12 and 17, Li, as modified by Kang and Hayes, teaches all aspects of the invention according to Claims 1 and 11 above, except the following, which in analogous art, Goyal teaches wherein the list of cellular wireless service plans includes for each cellular wireless service plan a phone number and an indication whether the cellular wireless service plan is transferable to the target wireless device ([0033-0035], presenting a list of transferable cellular service plans, and (iii) obtaining, responsive to presentation of the list, an indication to transfer cellular service credentials for the first eSIM to the second accessory device 150).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the listing of service plans transferable, as taught in Goyal, in the system of Li modified by Kang and Hayes, in order to more efficiently identify and select plans available for transfer.
Conclusion
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/MARGARET G WEBB/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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