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
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant's communication filed on 03/26/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1 – 5, 9 – 17 have been amended. Claims 1 – 17 are currently pending in the instant application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
2. 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
3. Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter as follows. Claim 17 as a whole define “A computer-readable storage medium". In specification, paragraphs [00448], [00465] defines computer-readable storage medium includes any medium… such as… thus, given a broadest reasonable interpretation, the scope of a “computer-readable storage medium ” covers a signal per se. A transitory signal does not fall within the definition of a process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matters. Examiner suggests amending the claims to change “computer-readable storage medium” to “non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” or defining the computer-readable storage medium to non-transitory medium or excluding signal per se in the specification. Any amendment to the claims should be commensurate with its corresponding disclosure.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 of this title, 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.
5. Claims 1 – 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rohini et al. (hereinafter “Rohini”) (Pub # US 2021/0258793 A1) in view of Park et al. (hereinafter “Park”) (Pub # US 2023/0040140 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 9, and 17, Rohini discloses a method / a communication apparatus (see 1400 in FIG. 14, [0245], [0246] for a core network entity, i.e., CN 204b, see FIG. 3, FIG. 6, [0129] for the CN 204b is a 5G core (5GC) supporting the NR/5G RAT, the CN/5GC 204b includes the functional modules 308 such as a 5G Core Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) 308a, a Policy Control Function (PCF) 308b, a 5G Session Management Function (SMF) 308c, a Unified Data Management (UDM) 308d, etc.), comprising:
at least one memory (see 1430 in FIG. 14) storing a computer program or instructions (see [0249]); and
at least one processor (see 1410 in FIG. 14), coupled to the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer program or instructions to perform operations to:
receive, by a policy control function network element (i.e., PCF 308b) from an access and mobility management function network element (see AMF 308a in FIG. 6), a request message for requesting a proximity-based service ProSe parameter (i.e., PC5/5G V2X unicast communication) of a first terminal device (i.e., UE-1 in FIG. 6) (see 601- 603 in FIG. 6, [0161], [0252], [0274] for the AMF receives a registration request message of the first UE when the first UE wants to initiate the V2X unicast communication with the second UE (UE-2) over the PC5 unicast link, wherein the registration request message includes the PC5/5G V2X capabilities of the first UE, and the AMF communicates the PC5 capabilities of the first UE to the selected PCF, which supports the V2X provisioning information); and
send the ProSe parameter to the first terminal device, wherein the ProSe parameter includes first information (i.e., security policy), the first information is for determining a manner of obtaining a first PC5 key (see [0131], [0161] – [0165] for the PCF provisions the UP security policy for the PC5 unicast link and other/V2X communication parameter based on the PC5 capabilities of the first UE, the one or more applications/services supported by the first UE, and see [0207] – [0212] for the first UE is configured with one-to-many V2X communication parameters (i.e., private keys, associated certificates or root certificate and address of the ProSe Key Management Function) to contact a ProSe Key Management Function, which is an entity that allows a network operator to radio level parameter and to provision keys), the first PC5 key is a key usable for a PC5 link between the first terminal device and a second terminal device, and the manner of obtaining the first PC5 key includes a control plane manner and/or a user plane (i.e., UP security policy) manner (see [0088], [0107], [0156], [0157], [0230] for the CN (including AMF/PCF) sends at least one UP security policy to the first UE for initiating the unicast communication with the second UE over the PC5 unicast link, see [0123], [0140], [0207], [0273] for changing one or more parameters (i.e., security keys) of the PC5 unicast link and retaining the UP security policy configured in the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) instance of the PC5 unicast link, see [0281] for security policies includes information associated with a user plane integrity protection and information associated with a user plane confidentiality protection).
Rohini teaches that UP security policy is provisioned by a PCF during service authorization and information provisioning on per V2X application or per PC5 unicast link granularity, and the PCF sends the security policy to the AMF then AMF forwards to the first UE. Rohini also teaches that changing one or more parameters (i.e., security keys) of the PC5 unicast link and retaining the UP security policy configured in the packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) instance of the PC5 unicast link.
Rohini does not disclose specifically that the PCF sends the security policy to the first UE.
In an analogous art, Park discloses the PCF sends policy to the first UE (see Park, [0190] – [0191] for UE policy provided by PCF, and when the PCF wants to change or provide a new UE policy in the UE, the PCF initiates a procedure).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made, to modify the invention of Rohini, and have the PCF sends policy to the first UE for Proximity services such that the UE obtains new policy, thereby provides updating at any time using the UE configuration update procedure by the PCF, as discussed by Park (see Park, [0188], [0190], [0191).
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the first information is usable to indicate to obtain a PC5 key in the control plane manner and/or the user plane manner (see Rohini, 605, 606 in FIG. 6, FIG. 10, [0207] – [0209] for using UP security policy for PC5 to obtain key).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the first information includes a mapping relationship between a first public land mobile network identifier of a home network of the first terminal device and second indication information or a mapping relationship between a second public land mobile network identifier of a home network of the second terminal device and second indication information, and the second indication information indicates is usable to indicated to obtain a PC5 key in the control plane manner and the user plane manner (see Rohini, [0123], [0143], [0262] for mapping, [0205] – [0207] for the ProSe function is a logical entity in each PLMN that supports Proximity services, the ProSe function may provision the UP security policy for the PC5 unicast link during the service authorization of the first UE and the second UE, and see Park, [0203], [0204], [0209] for the UE updates the settings for the current PLMN supporting the PC5 services). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before effective filing date the invention was made in order to obtain new policy such that the UE provides updating at any time using the UE configuration update procedure, as discussed by Park (see Park, [0188], [0190], [0191).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the first information includes a mapping relationship between identifier information of a relay service corresponding to the PC5 link and second indication information, and the second indication information is usable to indicate to obtain a PC5 key in the control plane manner and the user plane manner (see Rohini, [0055], [0112] for apply Application Layer ID in the V2X communication between one or more pairs of peer V2X services in the UEs).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the first request message includes the first information (see Rohini, 601- 603 in FIG. 6, [0161], [0252], [0274]).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the at least one processor is further configured obtain the first information from local configuration (see Rohini, [0190], [0202] for UP security policy stored as a local default configuration defined for the PC5 unicast link along with PC5 radio configurations provided or configured by the ProSe function).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the first information from an application function network element (see Rohini, [0101], [0111] – [0112], [0131] for the PCF provision the UP security policy for the PC5 unicast link based on the one or more applications supported by the UE offered by a V2X application server, and see Park, AF 450 in FIG. 1, [0064] for providing various services to the UE).
Regarding claims 8 and 16, Rohini in view of Park disclose wherein the at least one processor is further configured to send to a first network element (i.e., Unified Data Management (UDM) 308d / Session Management Function (SMF) 308c of a CN 204b), a request message for requesting the first information; and receive the first information from the first network element (see Rohini, 605 in FIG. 6, [0161], [0162], see FIG. 9A, [0180] – [0182] for the UP security policy is retrieved from the UDM through the SMF of the 5GC, thus it is obviously a request message in order to retrieve information).
Conclusion
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/MONG-THUY T TRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645