DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
1. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/08/2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
2. Claim(s) 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pub.No.: US 2023/0308866 A1 to YAN et al(hereafter referenced as Yan) in further view of Pub.No.: US 2020/0169877 A1 to Kim.
Regarding claim 1, Yan discloses “an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: compute a secure identifier (permanent identifier [par.0007]) for the apparatus comprising an equipment identifier of the apparatus(IGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with network-based encryption of a UE identifier also see par[0011]).
Yan does not explicitly disclose “and send the secure identifier comprising the equipment identifier in a request message to a communication network to which the apparatus is attempting to connect.”
However, Kim in an analogous art discloses "and send the secure identifier
comprising the equipment identifier (a PMSI may mean a user equipment identifier
used for V2X communication instead of an IMSI Kim[par.0261]) in a request message to a communication network to which the apparatus is attempting to connect." (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was filed to modify Yan’s secure user equipment identifier process with Kim’s secure connection identifier of user equipment in order to provide additional security. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Yan teaches a secured user equipment identifier, Kim discloses a secure identifier process, and both are from the same field of endeavor.
Regarding claim 2 in view of claim 1, the references combined discloses “wherein the secure identifier comprises a subscription concealed identifier adapted to comprise a permanent equipment identifier” (3GPP standard for fifth-generation (5G) networks attempts to correct this issue by encrypting a permanent identifier (e.g., a subscription permanent identifier or SUPI Yan[par.0007]).
Regarding claim 3 in view of claim 1, the references combined discloses “wherein the apparatus is part of user equipment and the secure identifier is computed in one of a universal subscriber identity module or a mobile equipment module of the user equipment”(subscriber identification module ( SIM ) card 1825 Kim[par.0333])
Regarding claim 4 in view of claim 1, the references combined discloses “wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive a message from the communication network indicating that a compliance verification check based at least in part on the equipment identifier has failed” ( If a UE context is not present in a network, the Attach Procedure is not integrity protected, or identification of integrity is failed, the Authentication and NAS security setup for activating the integrity protection and the NAS ciphering may be essentially performed Kim[par.0151])
Regarding claim 5 in view of claim 4, the references combined discloses “wherein the compliance verification check verifies compliance of the apparatus with one or more standards associated with the communication network.” (the UE checks on the data that is delivered by PDSCH , which is addressed by the PDCCH Kim[par.0141]).
Regarding claim 6, Yan discloses “a method comprising: computing, via user equipment, a secure identifier for the user equipment comprising an equipment identifier of the user equipment” (IGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with network-based encryption of a UE identifier also see par[0011]).
Yan does not explicitly disclose “ and sending the secure identifier comprising the equipment identifier in a request message from the user equipment to a communication network to which the user equipment is attempting to connect.”
However, Kim in an analogous art discloses " and sending the secure identifier comprising the equipment identifier (a PMSI may mean a user equipment identifier
used for V2X communication instead of an IMSI Kim[par.0261]) in a request message from the user equipment to a communication network to which the user equipment is attempting to connect.”(receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was filed to modify Yan’s secure user equipment identifier process with Kim’s secure connection identifier of user equipment in order to provide additional security. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Yan teaches a secured user equipment identifier, Kim discloses a secure identifier process, and both are from the same field of endeavor.
Regarding claim 7 in view of claim 6, the references combined discloses “a n article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied therein executable program code that when executed by a processor causes the processor to perform the steps of claim 6” (see claim 6 rejection)
Regarding claim 8, Yan discloses “an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive an authentication request for user equipment attempting to connect to a communication network, wherein the authentication request comprises a secure identifier (permanent identifier [par.0007]) for the user equipment comprising an equipment identifier of the user equipment(IGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with network-based encryption of a UE identifier also see par[0011]) identify the equipment identifier of the user equipment(IGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with network-based encryption of a UE identifier also see par[0011]).
Yan does not explicitly disclose “send a compliance verification request to a network entity to perform a compliance verification of the user equipment based at least in part on the equipment identifier; and permit authentication to proceed when the compliance verification of the user equipment is successful”
However, Kim in an analogous art discloses " send a compliance verification request to a network entity to perform a compliance verification of the user equipment based at least in part on the equipment identifier (a PMSI may mean a user equipment identifier used for V2X communication instead of an IMSI Kim[par.0261]) and permit authentication to proceed when the compliance verification of the user equipment is successful." (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was filed to modify Yan’s secure user equipment identifier process with Kim’s secure connection identifier of user equipment in order to provide additional security. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Yan teaches a secured user equipment identifier, Kim discloses a secure identifier process, and both are from the same field of endeavor.
Regarding claim 9 in view of claim 8, the references combined disclose “wherein the secure identifier comprises a subscription concealed identifier computed by the user equipment to comprise a permanent equipment identifier” (3GPP standard for fifth-generation (5G) networks attempts to correct this issue by encrypting a permanent identifier (e.g., a subscription permanent identifier or SUPI Yan[par.0007]).
Regarding claim 10 in view of claim 8, the references combined disclose “wherein the compliance verification verifies compliance of the user equipment with one or more standards associated with the communication network” (the UE checks on the data that is delivered by PDSCH , which is addressed by the PDCCH Kim[par.0141]).
Regarding claim 11 in view of claim 8, the references combined disclose “wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: request a compliance certificate for the user equipment; receive the compliance certificate for the user equipment; send a request to verify the compliance certificate to a network entity; and authorize the user equipment when the compliance certificate of the user equipment is verified by the network entity” (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Regarding claim 12 in view of claim 11, the references combined disclose “wherein the compliance certificate is requested during a parameter update procedure associated with the user equipment” (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Regarding claim 13 in view of claim 11, the references combined disclose “wherein the compliance certificate is requested following successful authentication of the user equipment” (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Regarding claim 14 in view of claim 8, the references combined disclose “wherein the apparatus is part of a unified data management function” (network device (e.g., a unified data management (UDM) device) that provides network-based encryption of a UE identifier Yan[par.0009]).
Regarding claim 15, Yan discloses “an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to: receive a compliance verification request from a network entity to perform a compliance verification of user equipment attempting to connect to a communication network” (IGS. 1A-1F are diagrams of an example 100 associated with network-based encryption of a UE identifier also see par[0011]).
Yan does not explicitly disclose “perform the compliance verification based on an equipment identifier of the user equipment received by the network entity as part of a secure identifier for the user equipment; and send a compliance verification response to the network entity to enable the network entity to permit an authentication to proceed when the compliance verification of the user equipment is successful.
However, Kim in an analogous art discloses “perform the compliance verification based on an equipment identifier of the user equipment received by the network entity as part of a secure identifier for the user equipment(the UE checks on the data that is delivered by PDSCH , which is addressed by the PDCCH Kim[par.0141]); and send a compliance verification response to the network entity to enable the network entity to permit an authentication to proceed when the compliance verification of the user equipment is successful. (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the
time the invention was filed to modify Yan’s secure user equipment identifier process with Kim’s secure connection identifier of user equipment in order to provide additional security. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to combine because Yan teaches a secured user equipment identifier, Kim discloses a secure identifier process, and both are from the same field of endeavor.
Regarding claim 16 in view of claim 15, the references combined discloses “wherein the secure identifier comprises a subscription concealed identifier computed by the user equipment to comprise a permanent equipment identifier.” (3GPP standard for fifth-generation (5G) networks attempts to correct this issue by encrypting a permanent identifier (e.g., a subscription permanent identifier or SUPI Yan[par.0007]).
Regarding claim 17 in view of claim 15, the references combined discloses “wherein the compliance verification verifies compliance of the user equipment with one or more standards associated with the communication network.” (the UE checks on the data that is delivered by PDSCH , which is addressed by the PDCCH Kim[par.0141]).
Regarding claim 18 in view of claim 15, the references combined discloses “wherein the at least one memory stores instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive a request from the network entity to verify a compliance certificate received from the user equipment” (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]); “perform the compliance certificate verification based on the equipment identifier of the user equipment; and send a compliance certificate verification response to the network entity to enable the network entity to authorize the user equipment when the compliance certificate verification of the user equipment is successful” (receives message to request first ticket that authenticates access authorization for identifier in serving network of user equipment Kim[Fig.16/item s1605]).
Regarding claim 19 in view of claim 15, the references combined discloses “wherein the apparatus is part of an equipment identity register”(the AMF may continue with the registration process for registering the UE 105. For example, the AMF and AUSF may continue with the registration process to authenticate the UE 105 and the network (e.g., the RAN 110 and/or the core network 115) to be utilized by the UE 105 Yan[par.0020]).
Conclusion
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/MICHAEL D ANDERSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2433
/JEFFREY C PWU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2433