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.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-7, 9-10, 13-15, and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salmela et al. (US 2024/0056794 A1) in view of Verma et al. (US 2024/0163656 A1) .
Regarding claim 1, 9 and 17 Salmela discloses a method, a device comprising a processor (processing circuitry 210, [0127])) and a non-transitory computer-readable memory device storing instructions executable by the processor ([0144] the computer program product 1310a, 1310b is illustrated as an optical disc, such as a CD (compact disc) or a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a Blu-Ray disc. The computer program product 1310a, 1310b could also be embodied as a memory, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), or an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and more particularly as a non-volatile storage medium of a device in an external memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a Flash memory, such as a compact Flash memory) comprising:
receiving, by a device and from a user equipment (UE) device, a request to download an embedded Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM) profile via a blanket code , ([0043] the subscription management entity 200 obtains a request from a communication device 400 for download of one of the subscription profiles 260 from the pool 250 of subscription profiles), wherein the blanket code is associated with a pool of available eSIM profiles [0042] the subscription profiles 260 of the pool 250 of subscription profiles 260 are served by an MNO entity 300. The subscription management entity 200 manages the pool 250 of subscription profiles 260. The pool 250 of subscription profiles 260 has its own pool identifier).
Samela teaches using a Matching ID as the pool identifier/key ([0047] and [0051]), and giving devices the same activation code/Matching ID for all profiles in the pool ([0107]). Samela also explains that the Matching ID identifies the pool, not a specific profile, so the system can assign an available profile from the pool ([0109]-[0114]), and that the pool identifier is obtained from the communication device as part of mutual authentication between the subscription management entity and the communication device prior to the subscription management entity enabling downloading of one of the subscription profiles from the pool to the communication device [0043]-[0044].
Samela fails to explicitly disclose determining, by the device, that a confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile;
providing, by the device, the confirmation code to an operations support system, in response to determining that the confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile, wherein the operations support system is to provide the confirmation code to the UE device; receiving, by the device, the confirmation code from the UE device; and providing, by the device, the requested eSIM profile to the UE device, in response to receiving the confirmation code from the UE device.
In the same field of endeavor, Verma discloses a method for remote
SIM provisioning with confirmation code (title), determining, by the device (i.e.,
SM platform 130; Fig. 2C), that a confirmation code is required to download the
eSIM profile (When UE device 110-1 receives such a button press to resend
a confirmation code, for example, then LPA 214 in new UE device 110-
1 may send a request 508-2 to SM-DP+ 232 requesting the delivery (or
redelivery) of the confirmation code [0049]…. SM-DP+ 232 may inspect the
request for confirmation code and determine that it includes the indication
for the request, [0050]);.
providing, by the device (i.e., backend system such as RSP platform 120 and SM platform 130 inf Fig. 2B and Fig. 2C), the confirmation code to an operations support system (SM-DP+ 232 sends a notification 508-3-1 to RPS 206 indicating that SM-DP+ 232 received message 508-2 from new UE device 110-1 with the indication of the request, [0050]), in response to determining that the confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile SM-DP+ 232 may inspect the request for confirmation code and determine that it includes the indication for the request, [0050]), wherein the operations support system is to provide the confirmation code to the UE device (the backend component such as RSP platform, SM Platform corresponds to the claimed feature “the operations support systems”, because they are operator-side support systems used to deliver the confirmation code to the user/UE); receiving, by the device, the confirmation code from the UE device (LPA 214 in new UE device 110-1 receives the confirmation code input by user 102. LPA 214 sends the confirmation code in a message 509-2 to SM-DP+ 232, [0052]); and
providing, by the device, the requested eSIM profile to the UE device, in response to receiving the confirmation code from the UE device (Process 400 continues with the downloading of the profile from SM platform 130 to new UE device 110-1 when the confirmation code is correct (block 411)).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art
before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Salmela by
specifically providing determining that a confirmation code is required to
download the eSIM profile; providing, by the device, the confirmation code to an
operations support system, in response to determining that the confirmation code
is required to download the eSIM profile, wherein the operations support system
is to provide the confirmation code to the UE device; receiving the confirmation
code from the UE; and providing the requested eSIM profile in response to
receiving the confirmation code, as taught by Verma for the purpose
of optimizing UE device supply chain processes while reducing customization
requirements of UE devices for specific MNOs and/or operating regions [0010].
Regarding claims 2, 10 and 18, Salmela further discloses generating the pool of eSIM profiles ([0010] he subscription management entity manages the pool of subscription profiles. The pool of subscription profiles has its own pool identifier); and configuring particular eSIM profiles of the pool of eSIM profiles to require a confirmation code to be downloaded ([0010]
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Salmela discloses generating a pool identifier for each eSIM profile in the pool of eSIM profiles but fails to explicitly disclose generating a particular confirmation code for each eSIM profile in the pool of eSIM profiles.
Verma discloses wherein the confirmation code may include one-time code based on the current time, a nonce, MDN, ICCD, EID, and/or IMEI (see [0040].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before
the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Salmela by
specifically providing a dedicated confirmation code based on the particular
identified device as taught by Verma in order to ensure error-free downloading
of the requested eSIM profile efficiently.
Regarding claims 6, 7, 14, 15, and 19 Salmela fails to explicitly disclose generating the confirmation code for the requested eSIM profile in response to receiving the request to download the eSIM profile and determining that the confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile wherein generating the confirmation code for the requested eSIM profile includes generating a code based on an Integrated Circuit Cared Identifier (ICCID) associated with the eSIM profile or generating a code based on an Embedded Identity Document (EID) associated with e UE device.
Verma discloses that disclose generating the confirmation code for the requested eSIM profile in response to receiving the request to download the eSIM profile and determining that the confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile wherein generating the confirmation code for the requested eSIM profile includes generating a code based on an Integrated Circuit Cared Identifier (ICCID) associated with the eSIM profile or generating a code based on an Embedded Identity Document (EID) associated with e UE device.
Claims 3-4, 8, 11-12, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salmela et al and Verma et al as applied to claims 2, 9-10 and 17 above, and further in view of Holla et al. (US 2024/0048962 A1).
Regard to claims 3-4, and 10-11 Salmela and Verma fails to explicitly teach wherein configuring eSIM profiles of the pool of eSIM profiles require a confirmation code to be downloaded that includes generating the blanket code, wherein the blanket code includes a flag set to indicate that the confirmation code is required to download the eSIM profile and wherein the blanket code includes a Quick Response (QR) code.
In the same filed of endeavor, Holla discloses a method for managing wireless device profiles in which there is an requirement for a confirmation code in a blanket code that includes a flag set to indicate that the confirmation code is required as part of an activation code or QR code for activating a purchased eSIM profile [0080], [0083] (Further, the activation code string may include a confirmation code required flag. The confirmation code required flag may indicate that an additional confirmation code will be requested from the user (at a later stage) before installing a profile. The confirmation code may be similar to the matching ID, i.e., it is shared by the carrier through side band channels) and ([0085]-[0093] In one example, the data of the predefined pattern may include a string of the predefined pattern or a quick response (OR) code encrypting the string of the predefined pattern. The predefined pattern may include one or more of the following: leading characters of “LPA”, an SM-DP+ server address, a matching ID, delimiters “$”, an object identifier of an SM-DP+ server, a confirmation code required flag, or other optional fields in the activation code string).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Holla’s system of managing device profiles with Salmela as modified by Verma in order to ensure and enhance authentication and security for flexible eSIM profile updating, downloading and provisioning.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Namiranian (US 2020/0112854 A1) discloses a method for using machine-readable code to activate the downloading of e-SIM profile to a user device.
Nandigam et al. (US 2026/0067669 A1) discloses a system for sharing eSIMS among multiple user equipment.
Xu et al. (US 2020/0228488 A1) discloses a system that allows downloading and using specified eSIM profiles from an eSIM-based card pool system.
Gupta (US 2026/0089487 A1) discloses an apparatus for generating eSIM profiles based on pre-configured parameters
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/CHARLES N APPIAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2641
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