DETAILED ACTION
In response to communications filed 10/27/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it contains typographical errors (i.e. “devices and components including apparatuses. systems. and methods…”). A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Objections
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities
Claim 9 (line 5) should be amended to recite “store an indication that the UE…”
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tiwari et al. (US 2024/0406188 A1) hereinafter “Tiwari.”
Regarding Claim 1, Tiwari teaches A method of operating a proxy function (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, AMF-NG), the method comprising:
receiving, from a base station distributed unit (DU) (Tiwari: paragraph 0219 & Fig. 1, NG-RAN; see also paragraph 0415 & Fig. 10, distributed unit (DU) of RAN node), a message (Tiwari: paragraph 0219, NG-RAN routes registration request message) having one or more message containers (Tiwari: paragraph 0248, container 1 and container 2);
performing a successful non-access stratum (NAS) security check on the message (Tiwari: paragraph 0221 & Fig.1, AMF-NG performs the integrity check for the registration request with a NAS security context);
selecting, based on performing the successful NAS security check, one or more network functions as destinations for information from the one or more message containers (Tiwari: paragraphs 0225-0230, AMF-NG may determine that the access type in request message is set to 3GPP access; see also paragraphs 0240-0242, selected AMF); and
transmitting one or more messages with information from the one or more message containers to the one or more network functions (Tiwari: paragraphs 0220, 0225 & Fig 1, Upon successful integrity check, the AMF-NG sends, to the AMF-G, transmitting a response message including a 5GMM context for 3GPP access of the UE).
Regarding Claim 2, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches a mobility management (MM) message container that includes first information (Tiwari: paragraph 0211, MM context may be a 5GMM context); and
a session management (SM) message container that includes second information (Tiwari: paragraph 0211, MM context may be a 5GSM context).
Regarding Claim 3, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the one or more messages include an MM message and an SM message (Tiwari: paragraphs 0231 & 0243, 5GMM & 5GSM context) and the method further comprises:
transmitting the MM message with the first information to a mobility management function (MMF) of the one or more network functions (Tiwari: Figs. 14-15, transmitting to AMF (MMF)); and
transmitting the SM message with the second information to a session management function (SMF) of the one or more network functions (Tiwari: Figs. 14-15, transmitting to SMF).
Regarding Claim 4, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches transmitting the MM message and the SM message in parallel (Tiwari: Figs. 14-15, transmitting to both AMF and SMF).
Regarding Claim 5, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the MM message is a registration request message, a deregistration request message, a configuration update command message, an authentication request message, a security mode command message, a service request message, a notification message, or an identity request message (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, registration request message).
Regarding Claim 6, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the SM message is a protocol data unit (PDU) session authentication command message; a user equipment (UE)-requested PDU session message; a UE-requested PDU session modification message; or a UE-requested PDU session release message (Tiwari: paragraph 0211, MM context may be a 5GSM context; see also paragraphs 0378-0382, PDU session)).
Regarding Claim 7, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches the message is a radio resource control (RRC) transfer message received via an F1 interface (Tiwari: paragraph 0213, Transfer message).
Regarding Claim 8, Tiwari teaches One or more non-transitory, computer-readable media having instructions that, when executed, cause a user equipment context repository (UCRF) to:
receive a registration request message from a mobility management function (MMF) (Tiwari: paragraphs 0213 & 0237, receiving a registration request message from old AMF);
generate a user equipment (UE) context based on the registration request message (Tiwari: paragraph 0211, MM context that corresponds to an indicated access type); and
store, in the UE context, an indication that a UE is in a registered state (Tiwari: paragraphs 0232-0233, Upon reception of the registration accept message, the UE concludes that the UE is registered).
Regarding Claim 9, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches determine that the UE is configured with user plane (UP) resources for active transmission or reception of traffic (Tiwari: paragraph 0578, activate User Plane connections of these PDU Session); and
store an indication that the US in an active substate of the registered state based on said determination that the UE is configured with UP resources for active transmission or reception of traffic (Tiwari: paragraph 0608, Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext procedure for UP activation of PDU Session).
Regarding Claim 10, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches determine that the UE is not configured with user plane (UP) resources for active transmission or reception of traffic (Tiwari: paragraph 0608, AMF indicates to the UE the PDU Session ID and the cause why the User Plane resources were not activated).
Regarding Claim 11, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches store an indication that the UE is in a non-active substate of the registered state based on said determination that the UE is not configured with UP resources for active transmission or reception of traffic (Tiwari: paragraph 0608, AMF indicates to the UE the PDU Session ID and the cause why the User Plane resources were not activated).
Regarding Claim 12, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the UE context comprises two or more of an access stratum context, a registration management context, or a session management context (Tiwari: paragraph 0220, UEContextTransfer request message includes an access type set to 3GPP access and connection identifier).
Regarding Claim 13, Tiwari teaches A mobility management function (MMF) (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, AMF-NG), comprising:
interface circuitry (Tiwari: paragraph 0421 & Fig. 12, network interface); and
processing circuitry (Tiwari: paragraph 0421 & Fig. 12, controller), coupled with the interface circuitry, the processing circuitry to
receive, via the interface circuitry, one or more first mobility management (MM) messages (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, ContextTransfer request message) from a proxy function (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig, 1, AMF-G), the one or more first MM messages to include first information (Tiwari: paragraphs 0219-0220 & Fig. 1, context information) from a base station distributed unit (DU) that is coupled with the proxy function over an F1 interface (Tiwari: paragraph 0219 & Fig. 1, NG-RAN; see also paragraph 0415 & Fig. 10, distributed unit (DU) of RAN node);
perform a mobility management operation associated with a user equipment (UE) (Tiwari: paragraph 0217 & Fig. 1, User Equipment (UE)) based on the first information (Tiwari: paragraph 0221 & Fig.1, AMF-NG performs the integrity check for the registration request with a NAS security context); and
transmit, via the interface circuitry, one or more second MM messages to the proxy function (Tiwari: paragraph 0231 & Fig. 1, AMF-NG sends a response message including a 5GMM context to AMF-G), the one or more second MM messages to include second information for the base station DU (Tiwari: paragraph 0232 & Fig. 1, said context information), wherein the second information is to convey results of the mobility management operation (Tiwari: paragraphs 0233, 0284 & Fig. 1, a registration accept message including registration result type).
Regarding Claim 14, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the one or more first MM messages includes a registration request message, a deregistration request message, a configuration update command message, an authentication request message, a security mode command message, a service request message, a notification message, or an identity request message (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, registration request message).
Regarding Claim 15, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the one or more second MM message includes a registration accept message, a deregistration accept message, a configuration update complete message, an authentication response message, a security mode complete message, a service accept message, a notification response message, or an identity response message (Tiwari: paragraphs 0233, 0284 & Fig. 1, a registration accept message).
Regarding Claim 16, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the one or more first MM messages includes a registration request message corresponding to an initial registration of the UE (Tiwari: paragraph 0217 & Fig. 1, initial request message from the UE), the one or more second MM messages includes a registration accept message (Tiwari: paragraphs 0233, 0284 & Fig. 1, a registration accept message), and the processing circuitry is further to:
identify a context repository function (UCRF) (Tiwari: paragraph 0217, NAS security context);
transmit a UE context registration request message that includes an identifier (ID) associated with the UE and requested context type (Tiwari: paragraphs 0217-0220, registration message including 5G-GUTI assigned to the UE and connection identifier); and
receive a UE context registration response message from the UCRF (Tiwari: paragraph 0221, AMF-NG receives the Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer request message).
Regarding Claim 17, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the one or more first MM messages includes a registration request message corresponding to a mobility-triggered registration or handover of the UE (Tiwari: paragraph 0220 & Fig. 1, target AMF), the one or more second MM messages include a registration accept message (Tiwari: paragraphs 0233, 0284 & Fig. 1, a registration accept message), and the processing circuitry is further to:
identify a new UE context repository function (UCRF) (Tiwari: paragraph 0217, NAS security context);
transmit a UE context retrieve message that includes an identifier (ID) associated with the UE and requested context type (Tiwari: paragraphs 0217-0220, registration message including 5G-GUTI assigned to the UE and connection identifier); and
receive a UE context from the UCRF (Tiwari: paragraph 0221, AMF-NG receives the Namf_Communication_UEContextTransfer request message).
Regarding Claim 18, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches transmit, to a UE context repository function (UCRF), a subscribe message associated with the UE (Tiwari: paragraphs 0268 & 0283, registration procedure according to user subscription).
Regarding Claim 19, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches receive, from the UCRF, a notify message with an indication that a session management (SM) context of the UE has been changed (Tiwari: paragraph 0325, Notify message including indicating that the UE is validated and MM context).
Regarding Claim 20, Tiwari teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches generate a system information broadcast (SIB) message (Tiwari: paragraph 0403, system information broadcast (SIB) message); and
transmit the SIB message to a base station for transmission within a serving cell of the base station (Tiwari: paragraph 0403, signaling SIB to RAN node).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kuge (US 2025/0097834 A1) teaches a function of performing encryption and integrity protection of a NAS message (paragraphs 0064-0065).
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/NAJEEB ANSARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/SYED ALI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2463
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