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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-3, 14-15 and 20-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (Lee), U.S. Publication No. 2021/0067958 in view of Velev et al. (Velev), U.S. Publication No. 2023/0217241.
Regarding Claims 1, 14 and 20, Lee discloses a security context generation
method, comprising:
obtaining (via UE 104; see figure 6), a first security context, wherein the first
security context is for protecting a first communication service of a terminal device (i.e., The SMF 194 may transmit a NAS signaling message 622 to the UE 104 including the new key identifier and the new multicast-broadcast key. Accordingly, in block 624, multicast or broadcast traffic may continue in a similar manner as in block 616 using the new multicast-broadcast key.; see paragraph [0137]);
sending, a session request message to a session management function network
element (i.e., The UE 104 may transmit a PDU session establishment request 602. The PDU session establishment request 602 may indicate a multicast or broadcast service that the UE 104 is requesting.; see paragraph [0129] and figure 6);
receiving, a session accept message from the session management function
network element, wherein the session accept message is for completing establishment of the session of the second communication service (i.e., The SMF 194 may transmit a PDU session establishment accept message 614 to the UE 104. The PDU session establishment accept message 614 may be a NAS signaling message including the key ID that identifies the multicast-broadcast key for the QoS flow and the actual multicast-broadcast key. Accordingly, the SMF 194 may distribute the multicast-broadcast key to the UE 104 that requested the PDU session.; see paragraph [0134]);
obtaining, an additional generation indication (i.e., NAS signaling message
including the key ID that identifies the multicast-broadcast key for the QoS flow; see paragraph [0134]);
obtaining, a second security context based on the additional generation
indication, and wherein the second security context is for protecting the second communication service (i.e., the SMF 194 may distribute the multicast-broadcast key to the UE 104 that requested the PDU session. At block 616, the UE 104 may receive multicast or broadcast traffic. For example, the UE 104 may receive packets for the QoS flow via a radio bearer. The packets may be protected by the UPF 195 using the multicast-broadcast key. The UE 104 may decode the packets using the multicast-broadcast key.; see paragraphs [0134]-[0135]).
Lee fails to disclose wherein the session request message is for requesting to establish a session of a second communication service, and the second security context is different from the first security context. However, according to paragraphs [0014] and [0016]-[0017] of Lee, the method may further include changing from a first cell to a second cell; receiving a new cell-specific multicast-broadcast key from the second cell; and decoding the one or more QoS flow packets from the second cell with the new cell-specific multicast-broadcast key for the second cell. The data session establishment request includes an indication of a type of service or a domain name indicating a multicast or broadcast service. Lee teaches session establishment request messages including a type of service or domain name where the communication services are different therefore, Lee also teaches a session request for sessions including first and second communication services where the UE changes from a first cell to a second cell. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lee’s teachings of session establishment requests to establish different communication services for changing from a first cell to a second cell using different new cell-specific multicast-broadcast key for the second cell (i.e., first communication service and second communication service having second security context as different from the first security context) as it pertains to the rest of the invention discussed above for allowing new requirements associated with latency, reliability, security, scalability thereby overall improving technology (as described throughout Lee).
Lee fails to disclose wherein one of the first communication service and the second communication service is a public network service, and the other is a private network service, and wherein the public network service and the private network service are services in a public network integrated non-public network.
Velev discloses wherein one of the first communication service and the second communication service is a public network service, and the other is a private network service (i.e., providing subscription data for an external subscriber. Non-public networks (“NPN”) are networks according to the 5G system (“5GS”) which are deployed to serve private (i.e., non-public) customers and/or service. An NPN can also offer a public service (public telephony service or emergency service), if the NPN has an agreement with a PLMN or an access to PSTN.; see paragraph [0036]), and wherein the public network service and the private network service are services in a public network integrated non-public network (i.e., public network integrated (“PNI-NPN”); see paragraph [0036]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Velev’s invention with Lee’s invention for supporting roaming interconnections/interfaces as described throughout Velev.
Regarding Claims 2 and 21, Lee and Velev disclose the method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as described above. Lee further discloses wherein the session request message comprises first indication information, and the first indication information indicates that the terminal device supports generation of the second security context (see paragraph [0129]).
Regarding Claims 3 and 15, Lee and Velev disclose the method and apparatus as described above. Lee further discloses wherein the obtaining the second security context based on the additional generation indication comprises: obtaining, a security key based on the additional generation indication and a first key; and/or obtaining, a security algorithm based on the additional generation indication (see paragraph [0008]).
Claim(s) 4-5, 10-12 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee and Velev in view of Lin et al. (Lin), U.S. Publication No. 2019/0082367.
Regarding Claims 4 and 16, Lee and Velev disclose the method and apparatus
as described above. Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the obtaining the security key based on the additional generation indication and the first key comprises: obtaining, the first key based on the additional generation indication and an access stratum (AS) root key of the first security context; and generating, the security key based on the first key. Lin discloses wherein the obtaining the security key based on the additional generation indication and the first key comprises: obtaining, the first key based on the additional generation indication and an access stratum (AS) root key of the first security context; and generating, the security key based on the first key (see paragraph [0064]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lin’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention to improve security of information transmission (see paragraph [0003] of Lin).
Regarding Claims 5 and 17, Lee and Velev disclose the method and apparatus
as described above. Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the additional generation indication comprises an indication of a first derivative parameter, and the obtaining the first key based on the additional generation indication and the AS root key of the first security context comprises: generating, the first key based on the AS root key of the first security context and the first derivative parameter. Lin discloses wherein the additional generation indication comprises an indication of a first derivative parameter, and the obtaining the first key based on the additional generation indication and the AS root key of the first security context comprises: generating, the first key based on the AS root key of the first security context and the first derivative parameter (see paragraph [0012]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lin’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention to improve security of information transmission (see paragraph [0003] of Lin).
Regarding Claim 10, Lee and Velev disclose the method as described above.
Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the generating the security key based on the first key comprises: generating, the security key based on the first key and a third derivative parameter. Lin discloses wherein the generating the security key based on the first key comprises: generating, the security key based on the first key and a third derivative parameter (see paragraphs [0012] and [0064]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lin’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention to improve security of information transmission (see paragraph [0003] of Lin).
Regarding Claim 11, Lee and Velev disclose the method as described above.
Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the additional generation indication comprises an identifier of the security algorithm, and the generating the security key based on the first key and the third derivative parameter comprises: generating, the security key based on the first key and the identifier and the type of the security algorithm. Lin discloses wherein the additional generation indication comprises an identifier of the security algorithm, and the generating the security key based on the first key and the third derivative parameter comprises: generating, the security key based on the first key and the identifier and the type of the security algorithm (see paragraph [0064]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lin’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention to improve security of information transmission (see paragraph [0003] of Lin).
Regarding Claim 12, Lee and Velev disclose the method as described above.
Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the additional generation indication comprises an identifier of the security algorithm. Lin discloses wherein the additional generation indication comprises an identifier of the security algorithm (see paragraph [0064]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Lin’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention to improve security of information transmission (see paragraph [0003] of Lin).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee and Velev in view of Sundar Pal et al. (Sundar Pal), U.S. Publication No. 2020/0120496.
Regarding Claim 6, Lee and Velev disclose the method as described above. Lee and Velev fail to disclose wherein the first derivative parameter is a downlink packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) count, and the indication of the first derivative parameter is at least one bit of the downlink PDCP count. Sundar Pal discloses wherein the first derivative parameter is a downlink packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) count, and the indication of the first derivative parameter is at least one bit of the downlink PDCP count (see paragraphs [0035]-[0041]). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to consider Sundar Pal’s invention with Lee’s and Velev’s invention for providing a secure communication without compromising the security as described throughout Sundar Pal.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 18-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHANTELL LAKETA HEIBER whose telephone number is (571)272-0886. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9am to 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-0886. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHANTELL L HEIBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
April 14, 2026
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