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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
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Claims 1, 3,6-8, 10, 13-15, 17 and 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 and 14 of U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 and claims 1,3-4,8,10-11, 15 and 17-18 of U.S. Patent No. 12,216,231 B2. The rejection below is an obvious type rejection because the claims in the present application are broader.
Regarding claim 1, U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 discloses in claim 1 a
method, comprising:
routing, by a first device, a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receiving, by the first device and from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generating, by the first device and based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
selecting, by the first device, another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
storing, by the first device, information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 does not specifically discloses in claim 1, a plurality of second devices.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use a plurality of second devices to select from, since new technologies such as 5G manages different types of services that are authenticated by different authentication mangers.
Regarding claim 8, U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 discloses in claim 14 a first device, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
route a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receive, from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generate, based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
select another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
store information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 does not specifically discloses in claim 14 a plurality of second devices.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would use a plurality of second devices to select from, since new technologies such as 5G manages different types of services that are authenticated by different authentication mangers.
Regarding claim 15, U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 discloses in claim 14 a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first device, cause the first device to:
route a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receive, from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generate, based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
select another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
store information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2 does not specifically discloses in claim 1 a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions and a plurality of second devices.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have recognized that devices inherently comprise non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions. Also, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have recognized that by using a plurality of second devices to select from in new technologies such as 5G, the different types of services required by a UE would be authenticated more efficiently by a plurality of authentication mangers.
Claim 3 in the present application corresponds to claim 1 in U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2.
Claim 10 in the present application corresponds to claim 14 in U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2.
Claim 17 in the present application corresponds to claim 14 in U.S. Patent No. 11,432,158 B2.
Regarding claim 1, U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2 discloses in claim 1 a
method, comprising:
routing, by a first device, a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receiving, by the first device and from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generating, by the first device and based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
selecting, by the first device, another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
storing, by the first device, information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
Regarding claim 8, U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2 discloses in claim 8 a first device, comprising:
one or more memories; and
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, configured to:
route a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receive, from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generate, based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
select another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
store information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2 does not specifically discloses in claim 1 a memory and a plurality of second devices.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have recognized that devices comprise at least a memory. Also, one of ordinary skill in the art would use a plurality of second devices to select from, since new technologies such as 5G manages different types of services that are authenticated by different authentication mangers.
Regarding claim 15, U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2 discloses in claim 15 a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions, the set of instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a first device, cause the first device to:
route a first request to a second device of a plurality of second devices to authenticate a third device;
receive, from the second device, a key and a subscription identifier;
generate, based on the key and the subscription identifier, a routing indicator associated with the third device;
select another second device of the plurality of second devices for another authentication of the third device; and
store information associating the routing indicator to the other second device of the plurality of second devices for routing a second request.
U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2 does not specifically discloses in claim 1 a plurality of second devices.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would use a plurality of second devices to select from, since new technologies such as 5G manages different types of services that are authenticated by different authentication mangers.
Claim 3 in the present application corresponds to claim 1 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 6 in the present application corresponds to claim 3 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 7 in the present application corresponds to claim 4 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 10 in the present application corresponds to claim 8 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 13 in the present application corresponds to claim 10 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 14 in the present application corresponds to claim 11 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 17 in the present application corresponds to claim 17 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
Claim 20 in the present application corresponds to claim 18 in U.S. Patent No. 12,177,675 B2.
This Double Patenting rejection is the only remaining issue in this Application.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20220060325 A1 (Castellanos ZAMORA et al., hereinafter Castellanos) relates to handling USIMS with misconfigured routing IDS in 5GC.
US 2022/040085 A1 relates to method and apparatus for service discovery.
US 2022/0159460 A1 relates to non-public network authentication in 5G.
US 2020/0204985 A1 relates to 5G device compatibility with legacy SIM.
US 2022/0345887 A1 relates to accessing a mobile communication network using a different identifier.
US 2021/0168751 A1 relates to use of user equipment identifiers for registration in 5G systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Angelica Perez whose telephone number is 571-272-7885. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Yuwen (Kevin) Pan can be reached at (571) 272-7855. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are 571-273-8300 for regular communications and for After Final communications.
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/ANGELICA PEREZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2649
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