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 .
Response to Amendment
This Action is in response to amendment filed on November 20, 2025. Claims 1-7, 10-13 and 15-20 are still pending in the present application. This Action is made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-7, 10-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by “3rd Generation Partnership Project;” 3GPP TR 23.700-81 (Release 18) (hereinafter 3GPP).
Regarding claim 1, 3GPP discloses an apparatus for trust security in mobile networks, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: collect information on messages exchanged between a first mobile network and a second mobile network during a time period (page 47 figure 6.10.2-1 [step 2 collects data]; also see page 38 [step 9]); and determine a trust indication of the first mobile network at least based on the collected information period (see at least page 37 [step 3]), wherein the trust indication comprises a trust score, which indicates a trust metric of the first mobile network (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), the trust indication further comprises at least one of: the time period, a validity period of the trust indication, or information on fluctuation of the trust score over the time period (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), and wherein the trust indication of the first mobile network indicates a level of trustworthiness of the first mobile network (see at least page 36 second to last paragraph and also see page 124 [step 7]).
Regarding claim 2, 3GPP discloses receive from a network entity, a request for the trust indication of the first mobile network; in response to the request, determine the trust indication of the first mobile network; and provide the determined trust indication to the network entity (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 3, 3GPP discloses caused to perform one or more of the following operations: updating a trust indication of the first mobile network with the determined trust indication; sending the trust indication to a network entity; or storing the trust indication in a database (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 4, 3GPP discloses the network entity is any of: a security edge protection proxy, SEPP; a united data management, UDM, entity; a steering of roaming, SoR, entity; a network repository function, NRF, entity; an operation, administration and management, OAM, entity; or a federated learning aggregator (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 5, 3GPP discloses analyze exceptions related to the first network occurred during the time period; and wherein the trust indication is determined further based on information on the exceptions (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 6, 3GPP discloses further caused to obtain the trust indication of the first mobile network from a database (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 7, 3GPP discloses wherein the collected information on message exchanges comprises information on at least one of: an inter-network control signaling communicated between a first network function belonging to the first mobile network and a second network function belonging to the second mobile network, or a key performance indicator associated with failures in the first network (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 10, 3GPP discloses the first mobile network is a public land mobile network, PLMN, or a non-public network, NPN (see at least page 48 [section 6.10.2]).
Regarding claim 11, 3GPP discloses the apparatus is deployed in at least one of the following: a network analytics function entity; a network security entity; or a network function entity (see at least page 48 [section 6.10.2]).
Regarding claim 12, 3GPP discloses an apparatus for trust security in mobile networks, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: obtain a trust indication of a first mobile network, which indicates a level of trustworthiness of the first mobile network (page 47 figure 6.10.2-1 [step 2 collects data]; also see page 38 [step 9]); wherein the trust indication comprises a trust score, which indicates a trust metric of the first mobile network (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), the trust indication further comprises at least one of: the time period, a validity period of the trust indication, or information on fluctuation of the trust score over the time period (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), and perform at least one of: configure a roaming operation related to the first mobile network based on the trust indication; or utilize the trust indication for a network operation related to at least one network function entity of the first mobile network (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 13, 3GPP discloses when executed to configure the roaming operation, the apparatus is caused to perform at least one of: configure a prioritized list of preferred mobile networks for roaming based on the trust indication; or select the first mobile network as a visited mobile network based on the trust indication (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 15, 3GPP discloses the apparatus is deployed in any of: a security edge protection proxy, SEPP; a united data management, UDM, function entity; a steering of roaming, SoR; or any network function entity (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 16, 3GPP discloses when executed to utilize the trust indication for a network operation, the apparatus is caused to perform at least one of: filtering or blocking traffic coming from the at least one network function entity, in a case that the trust indication indicates a lower level of trustworthiness of the first mobile network (see at least page 36 second to last paragraph and also see page 124 [step 7]).
Regarding claim 17, 3GPP discloses an apparatus for trust security in mobile networks, the apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: obtain a trust indication of a first network function entity in a second mobile network (page 47 figure 6.10.2-1 [step 2 collects data]; also see page 38 [step 9]), wherein the trust indication indicates a level of trustworthiness of the first network function entity (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]); wherein the trust indication comprises a trust score, which indicates a trust metric of the first mobile network (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), the trust indication further comprises at least one of: the time period, a validity period of the trust indication, or information on fluctuation of the trust score over the time period (see at least page 36 [section 6.7.1]), and utilize the trust indication for a network operation related to the first network function entity (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 18, 3GPP discloses caused to utilize the trust indication by: decommissioning the first network function entity, in a case that the trust indication indicates a lower level of trustworthiness of the first network function entity (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 19, 3GPP discloses receive a discovery request or an access token request from another network function entity; and select the first network function entity to respond to the request, based on the trust indication (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Regarding claim 20, 3GPP discloses the apparatus is deployed in any of the following network entities in a second mobile network which is different from the first mobile network: a network repository function, NRF, entity; an operation, administration and management, OAM, function entity; an application function, AP, entity; or any other network function entity (see at least page 37 [section 6.7.2.1]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on November 20, 2025 have been fully considered. Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive in regards to the 35 USC § 102 rejections as the claim is currently written. Arguments and corresponding examiner’s responses are shown below for Claim 1. The same arguments are valid for the Claim 1 and the similar features of other independent claims.
Argument: The Applicant argues on pages 8-11 that 3GPP does not disclose “the trust indication comprises a trust score, which indicates a trust metric of the first mobile network, the trust indication further comprises at least one of: the time period, a validity period of the trust indication, or information on fluctuation of the trust score over the time period” of independent claim 1 and similar feature in independent claims 12 and 17. According to applicant score associated to the NWDAF Analytics and ML models is not over period of time. Response: Examiner respectfully disagrees because 3GPP teaches “the trust indication comprises a trust score, which indicates a trust metric of the first mobile network, the trust indication further comprises at least one of: the time period, a validity period of the trust indication, or information on fluctuation of the trust score over the time period”. As stated in the previous office action, section 6.3.1 discloses the score associated to the NWDAF analytics and ML models; page 36 [6.7.1] discloses rating of ML models and NWDAF analytics; page 37 [fig. 6.7.2.1-1] discloses NWDAF contains a metric that should be utilized to rate the analytics service, wherein metric associated with analytics ID; the metric associated with the NWDAF analytics and ML models are subscribed for duration [step 9]; wherein subscription duration is considered as the time period. Additionally on page 94 [step 9] discloses NWDAF subscription response with validity period. Furthermore, page 62 [table 6.16.1.2-1] discloses validity period for application service experience analytics. Therefore, 3GPP teaches the above limitation.
Conclusion
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/LITON MIAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642