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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 2024-05-13 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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(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.
Claims 1-10 and 21-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being clearly anticipated by Li et al. (US-20230379704-A1, EFD: 2020-07-31) hereinafter Li.
Regarding claims 1, 21 and 30, Li discloses a method, an access and mobility management function (AMF) (Li, fig. 1, par. 74; 3) AMF: Access and Mobility Management function) and non-transitory computer readable medium (Li, fig. 3, par. 92; The storage unit 310) comprising: sending, by an access and mobility management function (AMF) to a unified data management (UDM), a request message requesting a subscription data for a single network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) (Li, fig. 4, par. 100; In step 402, for an initial registration request, the AMF may invoke a primary authentication. In an embodiment, for a subsequent registration request, the primary authentication may be skipped if the UE has already been authenticated and the AMF has valid security context ); receiving, by the AMF from the UDM, a response message comprising the subscription data for the S-NSSAI, wherein the subscription data indicates network slice-specific authentication and authorization (NSSAA) for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 4, par. 101; In step 403, the AMF determines whether a slice-specific authentication and authorization is required for each of S-NSSAIs, based on information stored locally or retrieved from the UDM) see also figs. 5A-6B; determining, by the AMF, an alternative S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 5, par. 114; In step 504, the AMF sends the EAP ID to the NSSAAF, which provides an interface with the AAA-S, in an Nssaaf_NSSAA_Authenticate request (e.g. comprising EAP ID response, generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) and/or the S-NSSAI)); and sending, by the AMF to a network slice-specific and standalone non-public network (SNPN) authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF) and based on the subscription data, a message indicating that the alternative S-NSSAI is for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 5A, par. 115; In step 505, if an AAA-proxy (AAA-P) is present (e.g. because the AAA-S belongs to a third party and the operator deploys a proxy towards third parties), the NSSAAF forwards the EAP ID response message to the AAA-P, otherwise the NSSAAF forwards the message directly to the AAA-S. The NSSAAF routes to the AAA-S based on the S-NSSAI. The NSSAAF/AAA-P forwards the EAP identity message to the AAA-S together with the S-NSSAI and the GPSI. The AAA-S stores the GPSI to create an association with the EAP ID in the EAP ID response message so the AAA-S can later use it to revoke an authorization or to trigger a reauthentication. The AAA-S uses the EAP-ID and the S-NSSAI to identify for which UE and slice authorization is requested) see also par. 116 and fig. 5B.
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Regarding claims 2 and 22, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 1 and 21, wherein the AMF sends the message to the NSSAAF based on providing transparency for the alternative S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 5A, par. 114; In step 504, the AMF sends the EAP ID to the NSSAAF, which provides an interface with the AAA-S, in an Nssaaf_NSSAA_Authenticate request (e.g. comprising EAP ID response, generic public subscription identifier (GPSI) and/or the S-NSSAI)) see also figs 5B-8.
Regarding claims 3 and 23, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 1 and 21, wherein the AMF sends the message to the NSSAAF based on a need for an instruction on how to handle security for the alternative S-NSSAI for the S- NSSAI (Li, fig. 5A, par. 109; More specifically, for the S-NSSAIs that are requiring the network slice-specific authentication and authorization, the AMF may trigger the network slice specific authentication and authorization based on changes of subscription information, or triggered by the AAA-S (step 501)).
Regarding claims 4 and 24, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 1 and 21, wherein the AMF receives a second message from the NSSAAF (Li, fig. 5A par. 116; In steps 506 to 509 (FIG. 5A) and 8 to 11 (FIG. 5B), EAP-messages are exchanged with the UE. Note that one or more than one iteration of these steps may occur), see also step 507 and 513.
Regarding claims 5 and 25, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 4 and 24, wherein the second message comprises an acknowledgement for the alternative S-NSSAI for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 5B, par. 513; In step 513, the NSSAAF sends an Nssaaf_NSSAA_Authenticate response (e.g. comprising the EAP-success/failure, the S-NSSAI, the GPSI) to the AMF).
Regarding claims 6 and 26, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 4 and 24, wherein the receiving, by the AMF from the NSSAAF, the second message is based on the sending of the message indicating that the alternative S-NSSAI is for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig. 5B, par. 118; In step 513, the NSSAAF sends an Nssaaf_NSSAA_Authenticate response (e.g. comprising the EAP-success/failure, the S-NSSAI, the GPSI) to the AMF).
Regarding claims 7 and 27, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 4 and 24, wherein the second message from the NSSAAF comprises an instruction (Li, fig. 5B, par. 118; wherein the second message from the NSSAAF comprises an instruction) Examiner notes, the BRI given to the “instruction” for the second message is that of par. 240 of applicant’s specification. Corresponding to “instructions to put S-NSSAI A in allowed NSSAI if the NSSAA was successful or in rejected NSSAI if the NSSAA was unsuccessful”. See also fig. 6A-6B step 609.
Regarding claims 8 and 28, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 7 and 27, wherein the instruction is an indication that slice replacement is allowed for the S-NSSAI (Li, fig, 5B, par. 120; In step 515, based on the result of the slice specific authentication (EAP-success/failure), if a new allowed NSSAI or new rejected NSSAIs need to be delivered to the UE, or if the AMF re-allocation is required, the AMF initiates a UE configuration update procedure, for each access type).
Regarding claims 9 and 29, Li further teach the method and apparatus according to claims 7 and 27, wherein the instruction is an indication that reuse of a NSSAA result from the S-NSSAI for the alternative S-NSSAI is allowed (Li, par. 121; If an S-NSSAI is successfully verified by the NSSAA procedure, the AMF sets the NSSAA status of corresponding S-NSSAI to EAP-Success, otherwise set to the NSSAA status of the corresponding S-NSSAI to EAP-Failure. The AMF stores the NSSAA status of each S-NSSAI in the UE context, and the UE is also updated with the allowed NSSAI(s). Later on, if the UE requests a registration update, the AMF will not trigger the NS SAA procedure to those S-NS SAI(s) which status are set to the EAP-Success).
Regarding claim 10, Li further teaches the method according to claim 7, wherein the instruction is an indication that reuse of a NSSAA result from the S-NSSAI for the alternative S-NSSAI is not allowed (Li, par. 121; If an S-NSSAI is successfully verified by the NSSAA procedure, the AMF sets the NSSAA status of corresponding S-NSSAI to EAP-Success, otherwise set to the NSSAA status of the corresponding S-NSSAI to EAP-Failure. The AMF stores the NSSAA status of each S-NSSAI in the UE context, and the UE is also updated with the allowed NSSAI(s). Later on, if the UE requests a registration update, the AMF will not trigger the NS SAA procedure to those S-NS SAI(s) which status are set to the EAP-Success).
It is noted that any citations to specific pages, columns, lines or figures in the prior art
references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered limiting in any way. A
reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably
suggested to a person of ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2123
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Gu et al. (US-20240357362-A1) Network Element Selection Method, Information Transmission Method, Apparatuses, And Network Element, 2024. The present disclosure provides a network element selection method, and apparatus, and network elements. The method includes: selecting, by a first network element, a network slice-specific authentication and authorization function (NSSAAF) network element according to first information; wherein the first information includes at least one of the following: S-NSSAI for a network slice; a home network identifier in a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI); a data network name (DNN); a generic public subscription identifier (GPSI); a subscription permanent identifier (SUPI); an external group ID; an internal group ID; and a routing identifier.
Nayak et al. (US-20240163665-A1) Method And System For Performing A Network Slice Specific Authentication Authorization Procedure For A Network Slice, 2024. A method for performing a Network Slice Specific Authentication Authorization (NSSAA) procedure for a network slice is disclosed. The method includes performing, by a Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization Function (NSSAAF), an NSSAA procedure through a first Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) selected amongst the first AMF and a second AMF. The method includes determining, by the NSSAAF whether the NS SAA procedure through the first AMF is successful or not. The method includes performing by the NSSAAF, one of skipping the NSSAA procedure for the second AMF in response to determining that the NSSAA procedure is successful for the first AMF transmitting a message to the second AMF for deleting Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (NSSAI) related to the network slice from an allowed list of network slices in response to determining that the NSSAA procedure is unsuccessful for the first AMF.
Long (US-20220286953-A1) Slice Selection Subscription Data Enhancement, 2022. Embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to enhanced slice-specific selection subscription data indicating whether slice-specific authentication and authorization is required for a wireless device(s). Embodiments of a method of generating, based on the enhanced slice-specific selection subscription data and the slice-specific authentication and authorization, a registration response to a wireless device registration request to access at least one network slice are disclosed.
Tiwari et al. (US-20250386282-A1), Method And Apparatus To Manage NSSAA Procedure In Wireless Communication System, 2025. The present disclosure relates to a pre-5.sup.th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system to be provided for supporting higher data rates Beyond 4.sup.th-Generation (4G) communication system such as Long Term Evolution (LTE). According to embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for managing network slice specific authentication and authorization (NSSAA) procedure in wireless communication network is provided.
Faccin et al. (US-12219356-B2) Systems And Methods Of Supporting Device Triggered Re-authentication Of Slice-specific Secondary Authentication And Authorization. Various aspects of the present disclosure include methods, network servers or components and user equipment devices configured to authorize network slices that are associated with services provided by external providers. Various aspects enable access and use of network slices by user equipment devices connected to a network (e.g., 5G or New Radio network) via network components associated with a service provider by generating an allowed network slice selection assistance information (Allowed NSSAI) and an Unauthorized NSSAI, and sending the Allowed NSSAI and Unauthorized NSSAI to a user equipment device.
Cao et al. (US-20240196355-A1), Recovery From Errors During Network Slice Specific Authentication And Authorization (NSSAA), 2024. A method for an access and mobility management function (AMF) of a communication network is provided. The method comprises determining that a stored status for a user equipment (UE) of network-slice-specific authentication and authorization (NSSAA) with respect to a first network slice of the communication network indicates that a new NSSAA should be executed, wherein the first network slice is associated with a first identifier; and in response to a subsequent UE request to register with the communication network, sending the UE a registration accept that includes an indication that another NSSAA procedure with respect to the first network slice should be executed.
Johansson et al. (US-12192943-B2), Storage Of Network Slice Authorization Status, 2025. A method of operating a core network node in a communication system includes receiving, at a first network function, a registration message from a radio access network node to register a user equipment, UE, and, responsive to the registration message, transmitting a request for information on whether network slices associated with the UE are subject to Network Slice-Specific Authentication and Authorization, NSSAA. Responsive to the request, the method receives a response message including Single-Network Slice Selection Assistance Information, S-NSSAI, information associated with the UE, the S-NSSAI information including NSSAA status information relating to the S-NSSAI information, and determines whether to initiate an NSSAA procedure with the UE based on the S-NSSAI information.
Baskaran et al. (US-12464346-B2) Slice-specific security requirement information, 2025. Apparatuses, methods, and systems are disclosed for determining and enforcing service specific network slice security. One apparatus in a mobile communication network includes processor that performs primary authentication with a mobile communication network and a transceiver that receives a SMC message comprising SSI. The processor applies slice security for control plane and user plane traffic related to a network slice according to a Security Requirement Type indicated in the SSI
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIO R CAMPERO MIRAMONTES whose telephone number is (571)272-5792. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Thursday 0600 - 1600.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuwen (Kevin) Pan can be reached at (571) 272-7855. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIO R CAMPERO MIRAMONTES/Examiner, Art Unit 2649 /YUWEN PAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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