DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
The IDS filed 12/28/2024 and the IDS filed 4/12/2025 have been considered.
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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Palanigounder et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0171978), hereinafter referred to as Palanigounder.
Regarding claim 1, Palanigounder discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: receive a non-access stratum (NAS) message that includes an indication of UE parameter update (UPU) header protection (paragraph 102, receives DL NAS transport message, and paragraph 98, UDM is performing UPU); compute a UPU message authentication code (MAC) using a UPU header as at least one input for UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF); and transmit an acknowledgement that indicates a UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, sends UL NAS transport message as acknowledgement).
Regarding claim 2, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: determine to perform the UPU header verification; and compute the UPU MAC based at least in part on the determination to perform the UPU header verification (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 3, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to compute the UPU MAC as UPU-MAC-IAUSF using the UPU header as the at least one input for the UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 4, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to determine that the UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, successfully verified).
Regarding claim 5, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to generate a MAC UPU-MAC-IUE that indicates the UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, generates UPU-MAC-IUE).
Regarding claim 6, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: determine successful verification of the UPU header protection; and transmit a verification indication to unified data management (UDM) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) that verification of the UPU header protection is successful (paragraph 103, successfully verified, and paragraph 104, transport container sent to UDM via AMF).
Regarding claim 7, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to: receive a capability request as to whether the UE supports the UPU header protection; and transmit a capability response that the UE supports the UPU header protection (paragraph 115, UE with capability verifies UPU header information).
Regarding claim 8, Palanigounder discloses wherein the capability response is transmitted to an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a NAS message as at least one of an initial registration request message or a registration update request message, the NAS message forwarded by the AMF to unified data management (UDM) to indicate that the UE supports the UPU header protection (paragraph 104, transport container sent to UDM via AMF, and paragraph 109, UPU header includes re-registration field).
Regarding claim 9, Palanigounder discloses a processor for wireless communication, comprising: at least one controller coupled with at least one memory and configured to cause the processor to: receive a non-access stratum (NAS) message that includes an indication of UE parameter update (UPU) header protection (paragraph 102, receives DL NAS transport message, and paragraph 98, UDM is performing UPU); compute a UPU message authentication code (MAC) using a UPU header as at least one input for UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF); and transmit an acknowledgement that indicates a UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, sends UL NAS transport message as acknowledgement).
Regarding claim 10, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to: determine to perform the UPU header verification; and compute the UPU MAC based at least in part on the determination to perform the UPU header verification (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 11, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to compute the UPU MAC as UPU-MAC-IAUSF using the UPU header as the at least one input for the UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 12, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to determine that the UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, successfully verified).
Regarding claim 13, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to generate a MAC UPU-MAC-IUE that indicates the UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, generates UPU-MAC-IUE).
Regarding claim 14, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to: determine successful verification of the UPU header protection; and transmit a verification indication to unified data management (UDM) via an access and mobility management function (AMF) that verification of the UPU header protection is successful (paragraph 103, successfully verified, and paragraph 104, transport container sent to UDM via AMF).
Regarding claim 15, Palanigounder discloses wherein the at least one controller is configured to cause the processor to: receive a capability request as to whether the UE supports the UPU header protection; and transmit a capability response that the UE supports the UPU header protection (paragraph 115, UE with capability verifies UPU header information).
Regarding claim 16, Palanigounder discloses wherein the capability response is transmitted to an access and mobility management function (AMF) in a NAS message as at least one of an initial registration request message or a registration update request message, the NAS message forwarded by the AMF to unified data management (UDM) to indicate that the UE supports the UPU header protection (paragraph 104, transport container sent to UDM via AMF, and paragraph 109, UPU header includes re-registration field).
Regarding claim 17, Palanigounder discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving a non-access stratum (NAS) message that includes an indication of UE parameter update (UPU) header protection (paragraph 102, receives DL NAS transport message, and paragraph 98, UDM is performing UPU); computing a UPU message authentication code (MAC) using a UPU header as at least one input for UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF); and transmitting an acknowledgement that indicates a UPU header verification is successful (paragraph 103, sends UL NAS transport message as acknowledgement).
Regarding claim 18, Palanigounder discloses determining to perform the UPU header verification; and computing the UPU MAC based at least in part on the determination to perform the UPU header verification (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 19, Palanigounder discloses computing the UPU MAC as UPU-MAC-IAUSF using the UPU header as the at least one input for the UPU protection (paragraph 102, calculates UPU-MAC-IAUSF).
Regarding claim 20, Palanigounder discloses a network equipment (NE) for wireless communication, comprising: at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the NE to: transmit a request to an authentication server function (AUSF) to apply user equipment parameter update (UPU) header protection (paragraph 99, provides UPU protection request message to AUSF); and transmit at least one of a UPU transparent container or UPU header information to a user equipment (UE), the at least one UPU transparent container or the UPU header information including an indication that a UPU header is protected (paragraphs 100 and 101, transmits UPU transparent container to UE).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mavureddi Dhanasekaran et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2025/0386197) disclosed techniques for providing protection scheme configuration data to a UE using a user equipment parameter update procedure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Victor Lesniewski whose telephone number is (571)272-2812. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 9am to 5pm.
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/Victor Lesniewski/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2493