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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. This application makes reference to or appears to claim subject matter disclosed in Application No. PCT/CN2021/095349, filed 05/21/2021 and Application No. PCT/CN2022/088626, filed 04/22/2022.
The disclosure of the prior-filed application, Application No. PCT/CN2021/095349, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application, namely independent claims 71, 85, and 93-96 (i.e. detail pertaining to obtaining contact information from a second NF and sending said contact information to a first NF. Therefore, for the purposes of prior art, the priority date of the instant application shall be afforded the priority date of the latter filed foreign application, PCT/CN2022/088626, filed 04/22/2022.
If Applicant disagrees with the Examiner’s assessment of the prior-filed applications, Applicant is invited to specifically point out where support can be found in PCT/CN2021/095349.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 72, 77, 79, 83, 84, 86, 89-92 is/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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The closest prior art relating to Applicant' s claimed invention is:
US 20230413047 A1 Liu; Yuze et al.
US 20230336992 A1 Kim; Dongjoo et al.
US 20220279348 A1 Youn; Myungjune et al.
US 20250220425 A1 Ferdi; Samir
Liu discloses network relay security. An example wireless communication method includes receiving, by a network device, a request message that includes an identifier associated with a first communication device; determining, by the network device in response to the receiving, that the first communication device is authenticated based on a local policy of the network device; and sending, by the network device in response to the determining, a message to a second communication device to relay to the first communication device, where the message indicates that the identifier is rejected by the network device for communication with the first communication device, or where the message indicates that the first communication device is triggered to send another identifier.
Kim discloses a method for authenticating a UE in a wireless communication system, including: receiving, by a relay UE, a direct communication request message from a remote UE; identifying, by the relay UE, authentication for the remote UE based on the direct communication request message; and transmitting, by the relay UE, a direct communication accept message to the remote UE, and the direct communication request message may include at least one of a first unique identifier or a primary authentication-related key ID of the remote UE, and the direct communication accept message may include an indicator indicating whether secondary authentication of a protocol data unit (PDU) session of the relay UE, which the remote UE uses, is pending.
Youn discloses a method for an SMF node to perform authentication. The method may include the steps of: receiving, from a relay UE, a Remote UE report message related to a Remote UE connected to the relay UE; transmitting a request message to a UDM node or an AMF node on the basis of the Remote UE report message including an SUCI of the remote unit; receiving a response message, including an SUPI of the Remote UE, from the UDM node or the AMF node; and transmitting an authentication request message, requesting authentication for the Remote UE, to an authentication server.
Ferdi discloses a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be configured to receive a key identifier. The key identifier may be associated with a second WTRU. Additionally, or alternatively, the key identifier may include a 5G ProSe remote user key (5GPRUK) identifier (ID). The WTRU may be configured as a WTRU-to-network relay for the second WTRU. The key identifier may be received during a key request procedure. The key request procedure may be performed by the WTRU on behalf of the second WTRU. The WTRU may be configured to send the key identifier to a network function. The key identifier may be sent to the network function to initiate a secondary authentication procedure. The WTRU may be configured to receive an authentication response message from the second WTRU. The WTRU may be configured to receive a response from the network function.
With respect to the claim(s), the prior art of record fails to disclose singly or in combination or render obvious detail pertaining to the specific contents of the contact information.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 71, 73-75, 85, 87, 88, 93-96 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 20230413047 A1 to Liu; Yuze et al.
Re: Claim(s) 71, 94
Liu discloses a method for a relay entity to provide a user Identity (ID) of a remote User Equipment (UE) under privacy protection to a first Network Function (NF) in a network (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0049 - . After the discovery of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, the 5G ProSe Remote UE can send a Direct Communication Request to the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay for establishing secure PC5 unicast link … The message can also include subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), Relay Service Code, Nonce_1. Upon receiving the DCR message, the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can send the Relay Key Request to the AMF of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, including partial parameters received in the DCR message),
wherein connectivity between the remote UE and the network is provided by the relay entity, the method comprising (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0047 - The 5G ProSe Remote UE and the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be registered with the network. The 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be authenticated and authorized by the network to provide UE-to-Network relay service. The 5G ProSe Remote UE can be authenticated and authorized by the network to receive UE-to-Network relay service):
obtaining contact information of a second NF and a private ID corresponding to the user ID from the second NF, wherein the contact information is used by the first NF to contact the second NF, to resolve the user ID based on the private ID (Fig. 21 and 0407-0408 - FIG. 21 shows an example flowchart for receiving by a network device a message that indicates whether another network device identifies a relay key using an identifier. Operation 2102 includes receiving, by a first network device from a second network device, a first request message that includes an identifier associated with a first communication device. Operation 2104 includes transmitting, by the first network device to a third network device, a second request message that includes the identifier. Operation 2106 includes receiving, by the first network device and in response to the second request message, a response message from the third network device, wherein the response message indicates whether the third network device identifies a relay key using the identifier. In some embodiment, the third network device is determined by the first network device based on the identifier. In some embodiment, after the receiving and prior to the transmitting, the method further comprises: transmitting, by the first network device, a third request to the third network device, wherein the third request includes the identifier; and receiving, from the third network device, another identifier that identifies the third network device. In some embodiment, the identifier includes a 5G ProSe Relay User Key (PRUK) identifier (ID) that includes a routing identifier or a routing indicator (RID), and wherein the relay key includes 5G PRUK);
and sending the contact information and the private ID to the first NF (See Id. – first network device receives identifier that is used to determine the third network device to which translation request is sent).
Liu further discloses a corresponding relay entity comprising a communications interface and processing circuity (Fig. 18 – 1800 comprises 1815/1820 and 1810) as required by claim 94.
Re: Claim(s) 85, 95
Liu discloses a method for a first Network Function (NF) in a network to obtain a user Identity (ID) of a remote User Equipment (UE) under privacy protection (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0049 - . After the discovery of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, the 5G ProSe Remote UE can send a Direct Communication Request to the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay for establishing secure PC5 unicast link … The message can also include subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), Relay Service Code, Nonce_1. Upon receiving the DCR message, the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can send the Relay Key Request to the AMF of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, including partial parameters received in the DCR message),
wherein connectivity between the remote UE and the network is provided by a relay entity, the method comprising (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0047 - The 5G ProSe Remote UE and the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be registered with the network. The 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be authenticated and authorized by the network to provide UE-to-Network relay service. The 5G ProSe Remote UE can be authenticated and authorized by the network to receive UE-to-Network relay service):
receiving contact information of a second NF and a private ID corresponding to the user ID from the relay entity, wherein the contact information is used by the first NF to contact the second NF to resolve the user ID based on the private ID (Fig. 21 and 0407-0408 - FIG. 21 shows an example flowchart for receiving by a network device a message that indicates whether another network device identifies a relay key using an identifier. Operation 2102 includes receiving, by a first network device from a second network device, a first request message that includes an identifier associated with a first communication device. Operation 2104 includes transmitting, by the first network device to a third network device, a second request message that includes the identifier. Operation 2106 includes receiving, by the first network device and in response to the second request message, a response message from the third network device, wherein the response message indicates whether the third network device identifies a relay key using the identifier. In some embodiment, the third network device is determined by the first network device based on the identifier. In some embodiment, after the receiving and prior to the transmitting, the method further comprises: transmitting, by the first network device, a third request to the third network device, wherein the third request includes the identifier; and receiving, from the third network device, another identifier that identifies the third network device. In some embodiment, the identifier includes a 5G ProSe Relay User Key (PRUK) identifier (ID) that includes a routing identifier or a routing indicator (RID), and wherein the relay key includes 5G PRUK);
and obtaining the user ID based on the private ID (See Id.)
Liu further discloses a corresponding network function comprising a communications interface and processing circuity (Fig. 18 – 1800 comprises 1815/1820 and 1810) as required by claim 95.
Re: Claim(s) 93, 96
Liu discloses a method for a second Network Function (NF) to provide privacy protection for a user Identity (ID) of a remote User Equipment (UE) (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0049 - . After the discovery of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, the 5G ProSe Remote UE can send a Direct Communication Request to the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay for establishing secure PC5 unicast link … The message can also include subscription concealed identifier (SUCI), Relay Service Code, Nonce_1. Upon receiving the DCR message, the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can send the Relay Key Request to the AMF of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay, including partial parameters received in the DCR message),
wherein connectivity between the remote UE and a network is provided by a relay entity in the network, the method comprising (Figs. 2A and 2B and 0047 - The 5G ProSe Remote UE and the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be registered with the network. The 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay can be authenticated and authorized by the network to provide UE-to-Network relay service. The 5G ProSe Remote UE can be authenticated and authorized by the network to receive UE-to-Network relay service):
providing contact information of the second NF and a private ID corresponding to the user ID to the relay entity; resolving the private ID into the user ID upon a request from a first NF in the network (Fig. 21 and 0407-0408 - FIG. 21 shows an example flowchart for receiving by a network device a message that indicates whether another network device identifies a relay key using an identifier. Operation 2102 includes receiving, by a first network device from a second network device, a first request message that includes an identifier associated with a first communication device. Operation 2104 includes transmitting, by the first network device to a third network device, a second request message that includes the identifier. Operation 2106 includes receiving, by the first network device and in response to the second request message, a response message from the third network device, wherein the response message indicates whether the third network device identifies a relay key using the identifier. In some embodiment, the third network device is determined by the first network device based on the identifier. In some embodiment, after the receiving and prior to the transmitting, the method further comprises: transmitting, by the first network device, a third request to the third network device, wherein the third request includes the identifier; and receiving, from the third network device, another identifier that identifies the third network device. In some embodiment, the identifier includes a 5G ProSe Relay User Key (PRUK) identifier (ID) that includes a routing identifier or a routing indicator (RID), and wherein the relay key includes 5G PRUK);
and sending the user ID to the first NF (See Id.).
Liu further discloses a corresponding network function comprising a communications interface and processing circuity (Fig. 18 – 1800 comprises 1815/1820 and 1810) as required by claim 96.
Re: Claim(s) 73
Liu discloses wherein the private ID is an encrypted version of the user ID or a temporary ID mapping to the user ID (Fig. 3A and 0073 - the Remote UE can send a Direct Communication Request to the relay UE for establishing secure PC5 unicast link. The Remote UE can include its security capabilities and security policy in the DCR message. The message can also include 5GPRUK ID if available, Relay Service Code, Nonce_1. If UE has no available 5G PRUK ID or the 5G PRUK ID has been reject before, the UE can use SUCI instead of 5G PRUK ID).
Re: Claim(s) 74, 87
Liu discloses wherein the network is a Fifth Generation (5G) mobile communication network (Figs. 1, 2A, and 2B and 0045 - FIG. 1 shows an architecture for 5G Core Network. In the architecture, 5G DDNMF is introduced into 5GC as a new network function. 5G DDNMF has similar functions from architecture point of view to the DDNMF part of ProSe Function).
Re: Claim(s) 75, 88
Liu discloses wherein the user ID is a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI) or a Generic Public Subscription Identifier (GPSI) of the remote UE (0050 - The AUSF of the 5G ProSe Remote UE can retrieve the Authentication Vectors from the UDM via Nudm_UEAuthentication_GetProseAv Request message and trigger authentication of the 5G ProSe Remote UE. This authentication is performed between the AUSF of the 5G ProSe Remote UE and the 5G ProSe Remote UE via the AMF of the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay and the 5G ProSe UE-to-Network Relay. Based on SUPI, the UDM can choose the authentication method).
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) 76 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu as applied to claim 71 above, and further in view of US 20230336992 A1 to Kim; Dongjoo et al.
Re: Claim(s) 76
Liu discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 71 above.
Liu does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein, in a case where the method is used in a Control Plane (CP) based security procedure, the first NF is a Session Management Function (SMF) of the relay entity, the second NF is a ProSe Anchor Function (PAnF) of the remote UE, and the relay entity obtains the contact information and the private ID from the PAnF via an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) of the relay entity.
However, attention is directed to Kim which discloses said limitation (Fig. 15 and 0186 - a method for performing secondary authentication of a remote UE according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed (see at least steps 8-9) where the first NF is a SMF and the second NF is a PAnF which provides private ID translation)
Therefore 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 Liu invention by employing the teaching as taught by Kim to provide the ability to utilize a particular set of network functions to perform a private ID translation to a user ID. The motivation for the combination is given by Kim (0002-0004).
Claim(s) 78 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu as applied to claim 71 above, and further in view of US 20220279348 A1 to Youn; Myungjune et al.
Re: Claim(s) 78
Liu discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 71 above.
Liu does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein, in a case where the method is used in a Control Plane (CP) based security procedure, the first NF is a SMF of the relay entity, the second NF is an Authentication Server Function (AUSF) of the remote UE, and the relay entity obtains the contact information and the private ID from the AUSF via an AMF of the relay entity.
However, attention is directed to Youn which discloses said limitation (Figs. 11A-11C – a method of performing a registration procedure and PDU session establishment procedure via a relay UE is disclosed. 0335-0343 – SUCI to SUPI translation and authentication is performed by SMF, AMF, AUSF, and UDM).
Therefore 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 Liu invention by employing the teaching as taught by Youn to provide the ability to utilize a particular set of network functions to perform a private ID translation to a user ID. The motivation for the combination is given by Youn (0001-0007).
Claim(s) 80-82 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu as applied to claim 71 above, and further in view of US 20250220425 A1 to Ferdi; Samir
Re: Claim(s) 80
Liu discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 71 above.
Liu does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein, in a case where the method is used in a User Plane (UP) based security procedure, the first NF is a SMF of the relay entity, the second NF is a ProSe Key Management Function (PKMF) of the remote UE.
However, attention is directed to Ferdi which discloses said limitation (Fig. 4A and – ID translation is performed between relay SMF and PKMF via relay AMF. 0103 - At 406, the WTRU-to-network relay may transmit a Remote WTRU report message. The WTRU-to-network relay may transmit a Remote WTRU report message to the SMF (e.g., via AMF). For example, the Remote WTRU report message may include one or more of the 5GPRUK ID, PDU session ID and/or other parameters. 0104 - At 408, the AMF may transmit a request message to a network function (e.g., PAnF, UDM, PKMF). The request message may include the 5GPRUK ID. At 410, the AMF may receive a response message from the network function. 0105 - at 412, the AMF may forward the SUPI (e.g., associated with the Remote WTRU), 5GPRUK ID (e.g., associated with the Remote WTRU), and/or the report message (e.g., associated with the Remote WTRU) to the SMF).
Therefore 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 Liu invention by employing the teaching as taught by Ferdi to provide the ability to utilize a particular set of network functions to perform a private ID translation to a user ID. The motivation for the combination is given by Ferdi (0002).
Re: Claim(s) 81
Liu in view of Ferdi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 71 and 80 above.
Liu does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the relay entity obtains the contact information and the private ID from a PKMF of the remote UE via a PKMF of the relay entity.
However, further attention is directed to Ferdi which discloses said limitation (Fig. 3A – 310, 312, 316, 318).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the Liu in view of Ferdi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Ferdi to provide the ability to utilize a particular set of network functions to perform a private ID translation to a user ID. The motivation for the combination is given by Ferdi (0002).
Re: Claim(s) 82
Liu in view of Ferdi discloses those limitations as set forth in the rejection of claim(s) 71 and 80 above.
Liu does/do not appear to explicitly disclose wherein the relay entity obtains the contact information and the private ID from a PKMF of the remote UE via the remote UE.
However, further attention is directed to Ferdi which discloses said limitation (Fig. 3A – 304, 308).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the Liu in view of Ferdi invention by employing the teaching as taught by Ferdi to provide the ability to utilize a particular set of network functions to perform a private ID translation to a user ID. The motivation for the combination is given by Ferdi (0002).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KASHIF SIDDIQUI whose telephone number is (571)270-3188. The examiner can normally be reached on M-R 6:00 EST to 16:00 EST.
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/KASHIF SIDDIQUI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415