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 claim(s) 1-14 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.
Claims 1-4, 7-11, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Shin (11197137) in view of Gehrman (2008/0260149).
Regarding claim 1, Shin discloses a method implemented by a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) – User equipment 100 is the equivalent of a WTRU comprising: sending a registration request message to a network, wherein the registration request message indicates that the WTRU does not have a home network (the registration request includes a preconfigured temporary ID (bIMSI) which indicates that the UE does not have a home network, Col; 10-23-33 and Col 17;4-15 and Figure 4, step 405) Shin further discloses receiving a registration accept message, wherein the registration accept message includes an address of a provisioning server (Col 10;60-Col. 11;5 and Col 17;45-50, receiving the provisioning profile include the second server id after the initial access/registration attempt, Figure 4, step 411). Shin discloses the use of temporary credentials which are received (Figure 4, step 413) but does not disclose sending a request for temporary credentials to the provisioning server using the address of the provisioning server.
However, Gehrmann teaches in an analogous art, the use of a WTRU (mobile device 32 )in which a registration request (para 45, registration request) includes temporary credentials (para 14-15 – PIMSI, preliminary IMSI is temporary) and that the request for registration involves receiving a provisioning server’s address (para 33, preliminary directory server address is sent to the UE) and using that address for temporary credentials (para 43-51, using the server address to complete the registration procedure and receive the temporary credentials). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include a request for temporary credentials to allow for a user to temporarily register in a local network, as taught by Wang.
Regarding claim 8, Shin discloses a WTRU (user equipment 200, Figure 2) comprising a processor (processing unit 210) and a transceiver (network interface 250) for performing the registration process as discussed above with respect to claim 1.
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Shin discloses registering with the onboarding network using the temporary credentials (Co; 11;5-45 – use of temporary credentials/bIMSI for registration, i.e. – PLMN selection).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Shin discloses wherein the WTRU is authenticated with a default credentials server prior to receiving the registration accept message (Figure 4, Step 409, authentication and authorization for the UE is performed before the obtaining of the second server/temporary profile).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Gehrmann further teaches wherein the temporary credentials are dynamically created by the network based on the registration request message (para 37-39, use of the PDI for the device is hashed with a master key to create/retrieve the PIMSI, which is a dynamic process).
Claim(s) 5 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin and Gehrmann as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Shan (2019/0182718).
Regarding claims 5 and 12, the combination of Shin and Gehrmann discloses all the limitations except wherein the registration request message includes a WTRU identifier, including a SUPI or SUCI (permanent or concealed identifier). However, Shan in an analogous art, teaches the use of registration messages in which a WTRU (UE 204) use a SUPI or SUCI (subscriber permanent or concealed identifier – paragraph 28). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include SUPI or SUCI identifiers in order to allow for 5g compatibility for registration process.
Claim(s) 4, 6 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin and Gehrmann as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ramachandran (2024/0121572).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, the combination of Shin and Gehrmann fails to disclose the use of a user plane connection. However, Ramachandran further teaches that the sending the request message for the temporary credentials occurs after the WTRU establishes a user plane connection (para 91-97 refers to PDU session establishment which is a user plane connection initially during registration with temporary identifications ). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include a user plane connection in order to provide packet connectivity in addition to control signaling.
Regarding claims 6, and 13, the combination of Shin and Gerhmann fails to disclose that the WTRU is an IoT device. However, Ramachandran further teaches wherein the WTRU (user device 24) is an IoT device (para 219-221). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include IoT devices as taught by Ramachandaran to the combination of Shin and Gehrmann in order to provide connectivity to 5g
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tom (7289805) discloses the use of temporary identity to register with a network for roaming.
Anthony Jr (2014/0044019) discloses temp id with law enforcement interception in wireless networks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV whose telephone number is (571)272-7872. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7a-4p, Fridays 7a-2p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Appiah can be reached at 571-272-7904. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
WILLIAM GEORGE TROST IV
Primary Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2641
/WILLIAM G TROST IV/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
Prosecution Insights