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 . The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions. 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 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-4, 6, 8, 11, 13-15, 17 and 20 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.
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) 1, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 16, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Pre-Grant Publication US-20220408249-A1 to ZAMORA et al. (“ZAMORA”).
As to claim 1, ZAMORA disclose(s) an authentication method, comprising:
determining, by a first network function, first information; (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 3 and 4 notifications using Authentication notification function; that requests authentication of a Communication device 400; [0049])
determining, by the first network function, a first mobility management function based on the first information; (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 5 discloses an authentication procedure based on the notification of step 3 and 4; [0051])
and sending, by the first network function, a first request to the first mobility management function, wherein the first network function belongs to a home network of user equipment, the first mobility management function belongs to a first serving network with which the user equipment is registered, and the first request requests the first mobility management function to perform a first authentication procedure on the user equipment. (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 discloses home network; [0014]; and step 5 discloses an authentication; [0051] and is registered in the UDM; [0049])
As to claim 5, ZAMORA disclose(s) the method according to claim 1, wherein after the sending, by the first network function, a the first request to the first mobility management function, the method further comprises:
receiving, by the first network function, third information from the first mobility management function, wherein the third information indicates that the first mobility management function has terminated or suspended the first authentication procedure initiated by the first network function. (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 6 results of procedure in operation 206, which indicate unsuccessful, i.e. terminated authentication; [0052])
As to claim 7, ZAMORA disclose(s) the method according to claim 1, wherein the first request carries an identifier of a first authentication server function, and the identifier of the first authentication server function is used by the first mobility management function to determine a second network function. (ZAMORA; Fig. 1 subscriber permanent identifier SUPI; [0041])
As to claim 9, ZAMORA disclose(s) the method according to claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, by the first mobility management function, the first request from the first network function; (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 3 and 4 notification using Authentication notification function; that requests authentication of a Communication device 400; [0049])
and determining, by the first mobility management function, a second network function after receiving the first request. (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 5 discloses an authentication procedure based on the notification of step 3 and 4; [0051])
As to claim 10, ZAMORA disclose(s) the method according to claim 9, wherein the first request carries an identifier of a first authentication server function, and the second network function is the first authentication server function. (ZAMORA; Fig. 1 subscriber permanent identifier SUPI; [0041]) (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 5 discloses an authentication procedure based on the notification of step 3 and 4; [0051])
As to claim 12, ZAMORA disclose(s) an apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor;
and at least one memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
determine first information;
determine a first mobility management function based on the first information, wherein the first mobility management function belongs to a first serving network with which user equipment is registered;
and send a first request to the first mobility management function, wherein the first request requests the first mobility management function to perform a first authentication procedure on the user equipment.
See similar rejection to claim 1.
As to claim 16, ZAMORA disclose(s) the apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus is further caused to:
after sending the first request to the first mobility management function, receive third information from the first mobility management function, wherein the third information indicates that the first mobility management function has terminated or suspended the first authentication procedure initiated by the apparatus.
See similar rejection to claim 5.
As to claim 18, ZAMORA disclose(s) a communication apparatus, comprising:
at least one processor;
and at least one memory configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the communication apparatus to:
receive a first request from a first network function, wherein the first network function belongs to a home network of user equipment; ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 3 and 4 notification using Authentication notification function; that requests authentication of a Communication device 400; [0049] and Fig. 2 discloses home network; [0014])
and determine a second network function after the first request is received. (ZAMORA; Fig. 2 step 5 discloses an authentication procedure based on the notification of step 3 and 4; [0051])
As to claim 19, ZAMORA disclose(s) the apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the first request carries an identifier of a first authentication server function, and the second network function is the first authentication server function. (ZAMORA; Fig. 1 subscriber permanent identifier SUPI; [0041])
Conclusion
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/BRYAN Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2445