Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 18, 2026
Application No. 18/503,786

CONTROLLER-BASED NETWORK ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM, AND METHOD THEREOF

Non-Final OA §103§112
Filed
Nov 07, 2023
Examiner
SURVILLO, OLEG
Art Unit
2457
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Pribit Technology Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
72%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4y 0m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 72% — above average
72%
Career Allow Rate
405 granted / 561 resolved
+14.2% vs TC avg
Strong +28% interview lift
Without
With
+28.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 0m
Avg Prosecution
25 currently pending
Career history
586
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
10.5%
-29.5% vs TC avg
§103
46.2%
+6.2% vs TC avg
§102
16.0%
-24.0% vs TC avg
§112
22.5%
-17.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 561 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §112
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. Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in the Republic of Korea on May 7, 2021 . It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the Korean (KR10-2021-0059273) application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Response to the Restriction Requirement Applicant’s election of group I claims 1-7 and 12 without traverse has been fully considered. Claims 8-11 and 13-14 have been withdrawn from consideration and should be marked as “withdrawn” in the next response. Elected claims 1-7 and 12 are examined herein. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b ) CONCLUSION.— The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claims 1- 7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. As to claim 1 , it is unclear what type of “configuring” is necessary to configure the memory to perform its inherent function of storing data. It appears that the memory would inherently be configured to store any type of data including a target and access control applications . The claim must recite a memory storing the applications for it be accorded a patentable weight. As to claims 1 and 12, i n the limitation “receive tunnel generation information necessary to generate a gateway…” it is unclear what is meant by “generate a gateway”. The specification discloses the gateway as a device located at a border of the network that generates a tunnel and forwards data packets received through the tunnel from the source node (par. [0048] as published). Therefore, it is unclear how the tunnel generation information can be used to generate a gateway. Dependent claims are rejected for the same reasons. 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 , 3-7, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Kim et al. (US 2021/0091976 A1) in view of Xi et al. (US 2010/0202351 A1). The applied reference has a common inventor and assignee with the instant application. Based upon the earlier effectively filed date of the reference, it constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2). Based upon the earlier publication date of the Kim et al. reference, it also constitutes prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1). This rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 might be overcome by: (1) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(a) that the subject matter disclosed in the reference was obtained directly or indirectly from the inventor or a joint inventor of this application and is thus not prior art in accordance with 35 U.S.C.102(b)(2)(A); (2) a showing under 37 CFR 1.130(b) of a prior public disclosure under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(B); or (3) a statement pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) establishing that, not later than the effective filing date of the claimed invention, the subject matter disclosed and the claimed invention were either owned by the same person or subject to an obligation of assignment to the same person or subject to a joint research agreement. See generally MPEP § 717.02. As to claim 1, Kim teaches a node [terminal 201] (Fig. 2) comprising: a communication circuit (par. [0008]) ; a processor operatively connected to the communication circuit (par. [0008]) ; and a memory operatively connected to the processor and configured to store a target application and an access control application (par. [0008]) , and wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the node to: receive tunnel generation information necessary to generate a gateway and a tunnel from an external server [controller 202] , through the access control application [transmitting information required for tunnel generation and information included in the data flow table] (operation 925, par. [0096]) ; request the gateway to generate the tunnel based on the tunnel generation information, through the access control application [operation 930] (par. [0099]) . Kim fails to teach receiv ing static IP information assigned to the node or each user of the node from the gateway, through the access control application; and transmit ting the static IP information to the external server, through the access control application. Xi is directed to supporting addressing by a user static IP address in mobile network (abstract). In particular, Xi teaches receiv ing static IP information assigned to the node or each user of the node from a gateway [MME receiving the user subscription data that includes the subscribed user static IP address] (par. [0035]) ; and transmit ting the static IP information to an external server [ sending the user static IP address to an S-GW] (par. [0036] -[ 0037]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system of Kim by receiv ing static IP information assigned to the node or each user of the node from the gateway, through the access control application; and transmit ting the static IP information to the external server, through the access control application , in order to address the packet data addressing problem when session parties interact with each other by the user static IP address (par. [0020] in Xi ). As to claim 3 , Kim teaches that the instructions cause the node to receive a data flow indicating a destination IP and port information transmittable with the static IP from the external server through the access control application [generating a control flow by the controller and transmitting response in step 620 containing flow identification information] (par. [0075] -[ 0078]) . As to claim 4 , Kim teaches that the instructions cause the node to: detect a network access event of the target application through the access control application (step 905, par. [0093]) ; determine whether the data flow exists and is valid based on identification information of the target application, a destination IP, and port information in response to the detected network access event, through the access control application (par. [0096]) ; request the external server the data flow when the data flow does not exist (par. [009 8 ]) ; transmit a data packet of the target application when the data flow exists (par. [009 9 ]) ; and drop the data packet of the target application when the data flow exists but is not valid (par. [0097]) . As to claim 5 , Kim teaches that the instructions cause the node to: detect an event of a controller access with respect to the external server through the access control application (step 905, par. [0093]) ; request the external server the controller access in response to the detected controller access event through the access control application (step 910, par. [0101]) ; receive a first response with respect to the controller access request from the external server through the access control application (step 925, par. [0096]) , and wherein the first response includes identification information of a control flow generated between the access control application and the external server and the tunnel generation information (par. [0099]) . As to claim 6 , Kim teaches that the instructions cause the node to: receive a first user input requesting a user authentication (step 805, par. [0084]) ; request the external server the user authentication with respect to a user of the node through the access control application and the request of the user authentication being including information corresponding to the first user input (step 810, par. [0085]) ; and receive a second response with respect to the user authentication request from the external server through the access control application, and the second response being including a result of the user authentication request, identification information of the control flow, and the tunnel generation information (step 820, par. [0087]-[0088]) . As to claim 7 , Kim teaches that the instructions cause the node to: receive a second us e r input requesting a release of the network access (step 1405, par. [0116] -[ 0117]) ; and request the external server to release the network access in response to the second user input (par. [0117]-[0120]) . As to claim 12, Kim in view of Xi teaches an operating method of a node [terminal 201 in Kim], the method comprising steps as discussed per claim 1 above. Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Kim et al. in view of Xi et al. and in further view of Tang et al. (US 2024/0056415 A1). As to claim 2, Kim in view of Xi teaches all the elements except that the instructions cause the node to receive DNS (domain name system) information together with the static IP information from the gateway through the access control application. Tang is directed to selective transmission of DNS information to the user equipment (abstract). In particular, Tang teaches caus ing the node to receive DNS (domain name system) information from the gateway [edge enabler server] t hrough the access control application [application layer communication] (par. [0074] -[ 0075]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method and system of Kim in view of Xi by caus ing the node to receive DNS (domain name system) information together with the static IP information from the gateway through the access control application in order to provide DNS resolution for application access (par. [0013] in Tang). Related Prior Art Zhu et al. (US 2020/0007507 A1) is directed to Internet Protocol Security tunnel maintenance method and system (abstract). In particular, Zhu teaches establishing an IPSec tunnel between the VPN gateway and the terminal device based on security associations obtained through negotiations between VPN gateway and terminal device (par. [0019]). Kubota (US 2011/0185398 A1) is directed to controlling message relay depending on the access control information (abstract). In particular, Kubota teaches constructing a tunnel between the terminal apparatus and the VPN gateway apparatus and controlling relay of messages in the tunnel (par. [0049] -[ 0050], Fig. 6 and corresponding description). Solari et al. (US 2022/0279023 A1) teaches establishing a tunnel in the user plane where an application at the user terminal initiates a connection through control plane and establishes GTP-U tunnel to APN (par. [0025] -[ 0026]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FILLIN "Examiner name" \* MERGEFORMAT OLEG SURVILLO whose telephone number is FILLIN "Phone number" \* MERGEFORMAT (571)272-9691 . The examiner can normally be reached FILLIN "Work Schedule?" \* MERGEFORMAT 9:00am - 5:00pm . 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, FILLIN "SPE Name?" \* MERGEFORMAT Ario Etienne can be reached at FILLIN "SPE Phone?" \* MERGEFORMAT 571-272-4001 . 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. /OLEG SURVILLO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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Prosecution Timeline

Nov 07, 2023
Application Filed
Apr 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103, §112 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
72%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+28.0%)
4y 0m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 561 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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