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 .
Applicant cancelled claims 2, 11 and 20 and Applicant added new claims 21-23.
Applicant amended claims 1, 10 and 19.
Status of claims:
Claims 1, 3-10, 12-19, and 21-23 are pending in this office action.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 02/12/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the prior art, Gundavelli fails to disclose “wherein when binding the application, the processor is configured to: store, in a cellular network, information that associates an identifier that identifies the application on the UE, a Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) that identifies the selected network slice, and a UE ID that identifies the UE.
Examiner respectfully disagree. Gundavelli discloses wherein when binding the application, the processor is configured to: store, in a cellular network, information that associates an identifier that identifies the application on the UE, a Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) that identifies the selected, see paragraph 0027, three techniques are described herein that can be utilized within a mobile core network for delivering slice properties, broadly referred to herein as ‘slice attribute information’ to a user equipment to provide awareness to the UE regarding various slice properties. A first technique includes delivering a corresponding slice attribute uniform resource identifier (URI) to a UE via a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) communication for each corresponding slice type with which a UE is allowed/authorized to establish one or more session(s). A second technique includes delivering slice attribute information to a UE via a NAS communication for one or more slice type(s) with which a given UE is allowed/authorized to establish one or more session(s) and a third technique includes delivering slice attribute information to a UE via a Domain Name System (DNS) exchange for one or more slice type(s) with which a given UE is allowed/authorized to establish one or more session(s) in which the slice attribute information is delivered to the UE via one or more DNS text (TXT) records. In paragraph 0059, i.e. At 304, consider that UDM 124 is configured with a subscription profile for a user or subscriber associated with UE 102 that identifies the default slice type with which UE 102 is authorized to establish at least one PDU session is slice 130-1, configured as ‘Default S-NSSAI: 141’ for a default Data Network Name (DNN) ‘internet.com’. The subscription profile configured for UDM 124 at 304 further identifies that UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s) with slice 130-2 (‘S-NSSAI: 142’) and to slice 130-3 (‘S-NSSAI: 143’). The subscription profile configured for UDM 124 at 304 further identifies an NSSAI root URI of ‘example.com’ (‘NSSAI root URI=example.com’) that AMF 122 can utilize to generate a URI for each slice type with which UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s) (e.g., slice 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 in this example) that enables the UE 102 to obtain slice attribute information for each slice from AppServer 152. Lastly , in paragraph 0086, FIG. 4 illustrates another technique through with slice attribute information can be provided to a UE, such as UE 102, via one or more network elements of mobile core network, such a AMF 122, which may perform various operations based on the subscription profile for UE 102 stored via UDM 124, including fetching/obtaining slice attribute information from AppServer 152 for the S-NSSAI(s)/slice type(s) with which UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s). Therefore for the claim language wherein when binding the application[ default application S-NSSAI], the processor [ paragraph 0119, processor] is configured to: store, in a cellular network, information that associates an identifier that identifies the application on the UE a Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) that identifies the selected [AMF 122, which may perform various operations based on the subscription profile for UE 102 stored via UDM 124, including fetching/obtaining slice attribute information from AppServer 152 for the S-NSSAI(s)/slice type(s), the subscription profile configured for UDM 124 at 304 further identifies an NSSAI root URI of ‘example.com’ (‘NSSAI root URI=example.com’) that AMF 122 can utilize to generate a URI for each slice type with which UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s) (e.g., slice 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 in this example) ]. Therefore, the 102 rejection of Gundavelli and 103 rejection will be maintained as described below.
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, 3, 5, 6. 8-10,12, 14, 15, 17-19 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by Gundavelli et al (US20230109664) (hereinafter Gundavelli).
Per claim 1, Gundavelli discloses a device comprising: a processor (paragraph 0119,
processor)to: receive, from a User Equipment device (UE) over a wireless connection (paragraph 0036,
i.e. the gNodeB 112 may also interface with each of UPF 134-1 of slice 130-1, UPF 134-2 of slice 130-2,
UPF 134-3 of slice 130-3, and UPF 134-4 of slice 130-4. RAN 110, via gNodeB 112, may also interface
with UE 102 via one or more over-the-air Radio Frequency (RF) connections) a request to enroll an
application installed on the UE to receive a service from a network slice (paragraph 0062, i.e. generally,
authorization can be used to determine whether a particular entity is authorized to perform a given activity
(e.g., establish a PDU session with one or more slice type(s)), typically inherited from authentication when
logging on to an application or service (e.g., registration request for connection of UE 102 to the mobile
core network 120 through which the subscription profile for UE 102 is obtained) ; select a network slice to
provide the service to the application on the UE (paragraph 0026, i.e. accordingly, there is value in enabling a UE with the awareness of the network slice characteristics for each of the slices that it is
authorized to use [e.g., establish at least one PDU session with], so that the UE and/or application logic
provided for the UE can select a slice that best suits performance/operating criteria for a given application
that is operated for the UE); bind the application on the UE to the selected network slice (paragraph 0025,
i.e. In the absence of an explicit App-Id to S-NSSAI mapping indication being obtained by a UE from the
network, the UE will bind an application to a default slice, represented by a default slice ID. However, the
default slice may or may not be able to meet the application's performance criteria); and send an
enrollment reply to the UE (paragraph 0051, i.e. returning to FIG. 1, in accordance with another technique
to provide slice attribute information to UE 102 [as discussed in further detail herein with reference to FIG.
4, below] when UE 102 registers to the mobile core network 120, a network element of the 5GC/mobile
core network 120, such as AMF 122 may, in at least one embodiment, fetch/obtain [e.g., using a similar
query] slice attribute information from AppServer 152/S-NSSAI details 160 for the slice type(s) with which
UE 102 is allowed/authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s) and may provide the slice attribute
information to UE 102 in a NAS Registration Accept message [generally, a registration response
message] using an AVP that includes each of an S-NSSAI and slice attribute information for the
corresponding S-NSSAI in which the slice attribute information can be stored in slice attribute database 108) wherein when binding the application[ paragraph 0025 and 0086, default application S-NSSAI], the processor [ paragraph 0119, processor] is configured to: store, in a cellular network, information that associates an identifier that identifies the application on the UE a Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSSAI) that identifies the selected [paragraph 0086, AMF 122, which may perform various operations based on the subscription profile for UE 102 stored via UDM 124, including fetching/obtaining slice attribute information from AppServer 152 for the S-NSSAI(s)/slice type(s) and see paragraph 0059, i.e. the subscription profile configured for UDM 124 at 304 further identifies an NSSAI root URI of ‘example.com’ (‘NSSAI root URI=example.com’) that AMF 122 can utilize to generate a URI for each slice type with which UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s) (e.g., slice 130-1, 130-2, and 130-3 in this example).
Per claim 3, Gundavelli discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the processor (paragraph 0119,
processor) is further configured to: obtain a UE Route Selection Policy (URSP) rule which, when applied
at the UE, causes the UE to identify the selected network slice, and send the URSP rule to the UE
(paragraph 0023, i.e. Rather, the awareness that the UE currently has is based on an identifier of a slice
and traffic selectors for a corresponding the App-ID/slice mapping that identifies the slice that the UE is to
utilize use for a given application, as that relationship/mapping can either be statically provisioned on the UE, or dynamically delivered to the UE from the network in the form of a UE Route Selection Policy
(URSP) policy).
Per claim 5, Gundavelli discloses the device of claim 1, wherein when selecting the network slice
(paragraph 0079, i.e. UE 102 sends a NAS Registration Request to AMF 122 identifying NSSAIs '141',
'142', '143', and '143' for the slices to which UE 102 may desire network connectivity, the processor is
configured to: extract, from the request to enroll the application (paragraph 0079, i.e. upon successful
authentication of UE 102 for connection to the mobile core network 120, AMF 122 can
fetch/obtain slice attribute information from the S-NSSAI details 160 configured for AppServer 152 for the
allowed S-NSSAI(s)/slice type(s) with which UE 102 is authorized to establish one or more sessions, such
as for S-NSSAIs '141', '142' and '143)', requirements for providing the service to the application; and
select the network slice based on the requirements (paragraph 0085, i.e. consider that UE 102 desires to
initiate an IMS call and, based on the slice attributes stored for slice 130-2/S-NSSAI '142' selects, via
application logic 104 and slice logic 106, slice 130-2/S-NSSAI '142' with which to establish a PDU session
for the IMS call (e.g., matching MMTel =supported, etc. as discussed herein).
Per claim 6, Gundavelli discloses the device of claim 5, wherein the requirements include at least
one of: a latency requirement; a bandwidth requirement; or a Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement
(paragraph 0055, i.e. UE 102, via slice logic 106/application logic 104 can search through stored slice
attribute information for the slice types with which the UE is allowed/authorized to establish PDU
session(s) in order to determine a slice that supports the bandwidth [e.g., satisfying one or more
attributes, such as UL throughput per network slice, UL throughput per UE, DL throughput per network
slice, DL throughput per UE, etc.]).
Per claim 8, Gundavelli discloses the device of claim 1, wherein the UE is configured to:
establish a Protocol Data Unit (PDU) session between the UE and the selected network slice (paragraph
0051, i.e. when UE 102 registers to the mobile core network 120, a network element of the 5GC/mobile
core network 120, such as AMF 122 may, in at least one embodiment, fetch/obtain [e.g., using a similar
query] slice attribute information from AppServer 152/S-NSSAI details 160 for the slice type(s) with which
UE 102 is allowed/authorized to establish one or more PDU session(s)).
Per claim 9, Gundavelli discloses the device of claim 8, wherein when the UE establishes the
PDU session (paragraph 0022, i.e. The UE can use a corresponding S-NSSAI value to establish PDU
session(s) with a given slice type in order to receive services from a slice instance that slice type.) the
UE is configured to: use a token to authenticate the application at a network, which includes the network
slice, for the application to access the network slice(paragraph 0062, i.e. generally, authentication [e.g.,
primary authentication involving UE 102] refers to the process where an entity's identity is authenticated,
typically by providing evidence that it holds a specific digital identity such as an identifier/identity and
corresponding credentials/authentication attributes/etc. Generally, authorization can be used to determine
whether a particular entity is authorized to perform a given activity (e.g., establish a PDU session with one
or more slice type(s)), typically inherited from authentication when logging on to an application or service
(e.g., registration request for connection of UE 102 to the mobile core network 120 through which the
subscription profile for UE 102 is obtained)).
Per claim 10, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 1.
Per claim 12, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 3.
Per claim 14, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 5.
Per claim 15, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 6.
Per claim 17, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 8.
Per claim 18, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 9.
Per claim 19, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 1 (see paragraph 0137, non-
transitory computer medium).
Per claim 22, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 5(see paragraph 0137, non-
transitory computer medium).
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) 4, 13 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gundavelli in view of Kunz et al. (US20200053083) (hereinafter Kuntz).
Per claim 4, Gundavelli discloses The device of claim 1, wherein the processor (paragraph 0119,
i.e. processor) is further configured to: either obtain from another device a security information comprising
one or more of a security token, a security key, or a security certificate (paragraph 0062, i.e.
authentication (e.g., primary authentication involving UE 102) refers to the process where an entity's
identity is authenticated, typically by providing evidence that it holds a specific digital identity such as an
identifier/identity and corresponding credentials/authentication attributes/etc.) or generate the security
information; but fails to disclose include the security information in the enrollment reply prior to sending
the enrollment reply to the UE.
In an analogous field of endeavor, Kuntz discloses disclose include the security information in the
enrollment reply prior to sending the enrollment reply to the UE (paragraph 0109 and 0111, Fig 5 step 6
and 7a, i.e. The SP-AAA Server 223 uses the User ID in the authentication/challenge request message,
so that the UE 205 can associate the authentication/challenge request with the credentials stored in the
UE 205. In the downlink, the AMF 211 may include in the NAS message header the S-NSSAI associated
with the ongoing network slice authentication procedure and At step 7, after the authentication procedure
between the UE 205 and the SP-AAA Server 223 is completed, the SP-AAA Server 223 responds to the
Authentication Request with an Authentication Response to the AMF 211, indicating either the success or
failure of the authentication, where it's interpreted that ultimately in step9 in Fig 5, is a Nas Registration
accept message).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing
date of the claimed invention to have incorporated the teachings of Kuntz into the invention Gundavelli, where Gundavelli discloses a method may include obtaining, by a network element, a registration request for connection of a UE to a mobile network; performing an authentication for connection of the UE to the mobile network; and upon successful authentication, providing, by the network element, a registration response to the UE and Kuntz provides apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for network slice authentication. One apparatus includes a processor that provides an application layer and a non-access stratum ("NAS") layer and a transceiver for communicating with a mobile communication network in order to provide a better quality of service where mobile networks may support user authentication with User Identifiers from devices that connect via the internet, e.g., they support secure provisioning of credentials to those devices to enable them to access the network and its services according to the subscription that has been linked with the User Identity, see Kuntz, paragraph 0004, 0109 and 0111.
Per claim 13, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 4.
Per claim 21, refer to the same rationale as explained in claim 4(see paragraph 0137, non-
transitory computer medium).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7,16 and 23 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: It's
interpreted, the prior art of record either singularly or in proper combination fails to teach receive, from the UE, a request to de-enroll the application; and unbind the application from the network slice.
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 JOSEPH E DEAN, JR whose telephone number is (571)270-7116. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-3:30.
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/JOSEPH E DEAN, JR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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