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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
1. Claims 1-2, 7, 9-13, 17-18 and 23-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ding (2016/0316362) in view of Kneckt et al (2023/0089319).
Regarding claims 1, 23 and 24. Ding teaches a station and a method for changing a value of an Extended Unique Identifier (figure 13, 0229 – UE comprises memory, processor, program etc. and figure 14, 0232 – AP comprises memory, processor, program etc.), EUI, of a non-access point, non-AP, station associated with an access point, AP, station, the non-AP station and the AP station both using a same mechanism for determining a new value of the EUI (figure 7, 0164-0167 wherein AP and UE use an encryption mechanism for generating a temporary MAC address (e.g, EUI)), the method comprising at one of the non-AP station and the AP station:
obtaining an EUI change start time (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0164 – step 701 wireless device associates with an AP1, Step 702 the network side generates a first temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI), that is, a temporary address, for the UE);
determining the new value of the EUI (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect); and
from the obtained EUI change start time and value for transmitting data to or receiving data from the other of the non-AP station and the AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Ding does not teach obtain a transition period duration.
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Ding to include transition times as taught by Kneckt in order to enable the AP and STA to temporarily change/randomize the MAC address for a short duration (transition period) which prevents MAC address tracking thereby increasing MAC address privacy.
Regarding claim 2. Ding teaches wherein at least an item of information for obtaining the EUI change start time is received from or is transmitted to the other of the non-AP station and the AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
Regarding claim 7. Ding teaches wherein at least an item of information for obtaining the transition period duration is received from or is transmitted to the other of the non-AP station and the AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Regarding claim 9. Ding teaches wherein the transition period duration is predetermined (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
Regarding claim 10. Ding teaches wherein the obtained transition period duration is transmitted to the other of the non-AP station and the AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Regarding claim 11. Ding teaches determining that a value of the EUI is to be changed (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect).
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
Regarding claim 12. Ding teaches wherein the EUI of the non-AP station is a MAC address of the non-AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect).
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses (e.g,. EUI) and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
Regarding claim 13. Ding teaches wherein a request for changing the value of the EUI is sent by the AP station and received by the non-AP station (0146 – temporary MAC address in conjunction with a time for starting using the next temporary MAC address, figure 7, 0175 – the AP1 sends an updated temporary MAC address (e.g., EUI) to the UE which is also encrypted and further includes a piece of time information, indicating a time that the temporary MAC address starts to come into effect) and figure 1, at step 704 – UE uses address 0 (e.g, the EUI value) and at step 711 – UE uses the changed MAC Address 1 (e.g., new EUI) to transmit/receive data).
Kneckt teaches the AP can establish a joint algorithm with the STA (e.g., both using the same mechanism), and use the joint algorithm to determine the first and second address profiles, as well as transition times for the schedule (abstract, 0007 – start time seed, figure 3B, 0048 – AP1 can randomize MAC addresses (e.g,. EUI) and parameters that are used for the duration of operation, figure 4B, 0062-0068 – AP and STA negotiate Mac Addresses to use between time 460 and 480 (e.g., transition times)) which indicates a short duration time for which the changed MAC address is used wherein devices using the changed MAC address can be difficult to determine (0047, 0052).
Regarding claim 17. Ding teaches wherein a request for changing the value of the EUI is sent by the non-AP station and received by the AP station (figure 6 at steps 603 and 604, 0146 – UE transmits the request for temporary MAC address the AP wherein the request further includes a remaining use time of a current address such as the temporary MAC address 0 or a time for starting using a next temporary MAC address 1).
Regarding claim 18. Ding teaches wherein the item of information for obtaining the EUI change start time is included in the request for changing the value of the EUI figure 6 at steps 603 and 604, 0146 – UE transmits the request for temporary MAC address the AP wherein the request further includes a remaining use time of a current address such as the temporary MAC address 0 or a time for starting using a next temporary MAC address 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
2. Claims 3-6, 8, 14-16, 19-21 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.
Conclusion
3. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
---(2016/0302058) Mestanov et al teaches STA and AP changing MAC address (abstract) to be used at a later time (0046-0047, 0056) thereby preventing user location tracking (0008).
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BARRY W TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-7509. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 7-5.
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/BARRY W TAYLOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
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