DETAILED ACTION
This communication responsive to the Application No. 18/869,349 filed on November 26, 2024. A preliminary amendment was filed on 02/21/2025 in which claims 3-4, 9, 11-12, 15-17, 20, 24, 26, 29-30, 33 and 35-40 have been canceled, and claims 2, 5-8, 10, 13-14, 19, 21, 23, 25, 28, 32 and 34 have been amended. Claims 1-2, 5-8, 10, 13-14, 18-19, 21-23, 25, 27-28, 31-32, and 34 are pending and are directed towards AUTHENTICATION METHOD, APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND STORAGE MEDIUM.
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 11/26/2024 was Acknowledge. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The use of the term “Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee”, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-8, 10, 13-14, 18-19, 21-23, 25, 27-28, 31-32, and 34 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1 and 18 and 27 recite the acronym (IoT, PIN) which are not defined.
Claim 28 recite the acronym (PEFCPEGC) which is not defined.
Claims 2, 5-8, 10, 13-14, 19, 21-23, 25, 31-32, and 34 are rejected by dependency.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 18 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liao US 2021/036831 A1 (hereinafter “Liao”).
As per claims 1, 18 and 27, Liao teaches an authentication method, performed by a core network device of a first type network, wherein the method comprises:
performing an identity authentication on a personal IoT networks element (PINE) (The serving network of the eRG authenticates User Identity of the PIN device based on its credentials, and then updates User Profiles of the services. Liao, para [0098]), wherein the PINE accesses the first type network through a PIN element with gateway capability (PEGC) (A PIN Element is a UE and device authorized to communicate within a PIN. A PIN Element with Gateway Capability is a UE PIN Element with the ability to provide (for other PIN Elements) or indirect Network connection (for other PIN Elements) to and from the 5G network. A PIN Element can have both PIN management capability and Gateway Capability. Liao, para [0163])( the 5G network shall enable support for a gateway UE to authenticate a User Identity to a service with a User Identifier and the service is running on or connected to a PIN device behind the gateway UE. Liao, para [0157]), and the PINE and the PEGC are connected through a second type network (the user/UE is at home and uses service A directly with the PIN device via a non-3GPP access technology, e.g., Bluetooth, WiFi. In order to support the scenarios depicted in FIGS. 3A-3C, support of secure access for services provided by non-3GPP device, i.e., PIN IoT device, connected to the network via a gateway UE are provide. User identifiers of services provided by PIN devices and user authentication and an authenticator for the services provided by PIN devices are described, as are access to one or more services provided by PIN devices, user profiles and user identifiers for services provided by an PIN device, and gateway UE policies for PIN and out of home settings. Liao, para [0068])( an authorized user shall be able to use authorized UE to access the service of an PIN device connected to a gateway UE via 5G network, via a gateway UE using Direct communication, or directly using non-3GPP access with the PIN device. Liao, para [0145]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 2, 13 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liao US 2021/036831 A1 (hereinafter “Liao”) in view of Shi et al. US 2024/0314534 A1 (hereinafter “Shi”).
As per claims 2 and 19, Liao teaches the method according to claims 1 and 18. Liao does not explicitly teach wherein performing the identity authentication on the personal IoT networks-element (PINE) comprises: determining an expected authentication parameter based on at least a first credential and a calculation parameter of the PINE; and performing the identity authentication on the PINE based on the expected authentication parameter, wherein the first credential is stored in the core network device and determined by the core network device according to at least one of a PINE identifier of the PINE or a PEGC identifier of the PEGC.
However, Shi teaches determining an expected authentication parameter based on at least a first credential and a calculation parameter of the PINE (PIN bootstrap information may include one or more credentials. A credential (e.g., each credential) may be a value and/or an authenticated and/or non-authenticated token (e.g., ticket) that is associated with the PINE ID and used to authenticate the PINE. A credential (e.g., each credential) may be associated with a PIN ID, PEMC ID, and/or PEGC ID. If a credential is associated with a PIN ID, PEMC ID, or a PEGC ID, the PINE may know to use the credential for communication, authentication, and/or authorization (e.g., only for communication, authentication, and/or authorization) within that PIN with a PEMC or PEGC (particular PEMC or PEGC). The credential may be a key, identity, and/or certificate. Shi, para [0167]); and
performing the identity authentication on the PINE based on the expected authentication parameter (FIG. 11 shows an example procedure for a PEMC authentication and authorization of a PINE. The PINE may provision, bootstrapped, and/or configured with the PIN bootstrap information. The PINE may receive one or more of the following: the PINE ID, PINE ID alias, or the PIN bootstrap information from a server. Shi, para [0172]),
wherein the first credential is stored in the core network device and determined by the core network device according to at least one of a PINE identifier of the PINE or a PEGC identifier of the PEGC (When the PINE receives the broadcast message, the PINE may check if the discovery value is associated with the PIN bootstrap information that is stored in the PINE. For example, the PINE may check if the discovery value is in the PIN bootstrap information or if the result of a calculation that is performed on the discovery value matches information that is stored in the PIN bootstrap information of the PINE. For example, the PINE may perform a hash operation on the received discovery value and the PINE's identifier and check if it matches a value in the PIN bootstrap information. If the PINE determines that the discovery value is associated with the PINE's PIN bootstrap information, the PINE may consider the PEMC to be discovered. Shi, para [0174]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to enhance the security of the system by using authentication parameters.
As per claim 13, Liao and Shi teach the method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:
determining whether the PEGC is a legal gateway for the PEGC to access the first type network based on judgment information, wherein the judgment information comprises at least one of: a PEGC identifier of the PEGC; a PINE identifier of the PINE; or subscription information of the PEGC (For 5G services that are used by the UE: additional User Identifiers of the user's User Identities and potentially linked 3GPP subscriptions; used UEs (identified by their subscription and device identifiers); and capabilities the used UEs support for authentication. Liao, para [0087]);
Liao does not explicitly teach determining the expected authentication parameter based on at least the first credential and the calculation parameter of the PINE, comprises: determining that the PEGC is the legal gateway; determining the expected authentication parameter based on the first credential and the calculation parameter of the PINE.
However, Shi teaches determining the expected authentication parameter based on at least the first credential and the calculation parameter of the PINE, comprises:
determining that the PEGC is the legal gateway (When a PINE is authenticated and/or authorized by the PEMC, the PINE may be able to communicate with a PINE with gateway capabilities (PEGC) of the PIN. The PEMC may assist the PEGC in authenticating and/or authorizing a PINE. Shi, para [0078]);
determining the expected authentication parameter based on the first credential and the calculation parameter of the PINE (PIN bootstrap information may include one or more credentials. A credential (e.g., each credential) may be a value and/or an authenticated and/or non-authenticated token (e.g., ticket) that is associated with the PINE ID and used to authenticate the PINE. A credential (e.g., each credential) may be associated with a PIN ID, PEMC ID, and/or PEGC ID. If a credential is associated with a PIN ID, PEMC ID, or a PEGC ID, the PINE may know to use the credential for communication, authentication, and/or authorization (e.g., only for communication, authentication, and/or authorization) within that PIN with a PEMC or PEGC (particular PEMC or PEGC). The credential may be a key, identity, and/or certificate. Shi, para [0167]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to enhance the security of the system by using authentication parameters.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 21 and 28 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. Claims 6-8, 10, 14, 21-23, 25, 31-32 and 34 objected by dependency
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A. Manithara Vamanan et al. US 2025/0106742 A1 directed to personal internet of things networks
B. Purkayastha et al. US 2025/0286933 A1 directed to switching a service from a WTRU to a PIN and a PIN to a WTRU
C. Salkintzis US 2019/0215691 A1 directed to core network attachment through standalone non-3GPP access networks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KHALID M ALMAGHAYREH whose telephone number is (571)272-0179. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8AM-5PM EST & Friday variable.
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Respectfully Submitted
/KHALID M ALMAGHAYREH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2492
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