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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 1/17/25 is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 7-17, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 2024/0179525).
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches an apparatus (NSWOAAF/authentication server function entity), for performing a first network function, the apparatus comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the apparatus to:
receive a first request from a second network function (WiFi AP), wherein the first request comprises a request to perform a device authentication for a device (see “S204: The UE replies with the EAP response/identity message to the Wi-Fi AP, and the Wi-Fi AP forwards the message to an authentication server function entity” [0186] which suggests NSWOAAF receives EAP response/identity message from WiFi AP which is a request to authenticate the UE in the access network);
determine to perform non-seamless wireless local area network offload (NSWO) route authorization for the device (see “The NSWOAAF is an authentication server function entity and is dedicated to processing an authentication procedure in an NSWO scenario” [0369]);
transmit a second request (UE authentication obtaining request) to a third network function (UDM), wherein the second request indicates how to route traffic of the device for NSWO access (see “S207: The authentication server function entity sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request) message to the UDM. The message carries the SUCI and the SN name, or carries the SUCI, the indication information 05 in Indication manner 2 in step S203, and the SN name” [0192] and “For example, the indication information 05 indicates the UDM to select the EAP-AKA' authentication method; or indicates an access manner, for example, may be the NSWO access manner” [0183] which suggests NSWOAAF transmits a UE authentication obtaining request to the UDM including SUCI which further includes an indication of a non-NSWO access manner or NSWO access manner, wherein the indication reads on the claimed “how to route traffic of the device for NSWO access” since traffic for the UE may be routed using a non-NSWO access manner or a NSWO access manner), and wherein NSWO route authorization information is received from the third network function (see “S210: The UDM replies with a UE authentication obtaining response (Nudm_UEAuthentication_GetResponse) message to the authentication server function entity, where the message carries an AV and the SUPI” [0199] which suggests the NSWOAAF receives authorization for the indicated NSWO access manner or “NSWO route authorization information”); and
transmit the NSWO route authorization information to the second network function (see “S219 and S220: The authentication server function entity sends an EAP success (EAP-Success) message to the UE through the Wi-Fi AP” [0235] which suggests the WiFi AP receives information that the indicated NSWO access manner is authorized).
Regarding claim 2, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first request comprises an indication (indication information) indicating a request for NSWO route authorization (NSWO access manner) (see “For example, the indication information 05 indicates the UDM to select the EAP-AKA' authentication method; or indicates an access manner, for example, may be the NSWO access manner” [0183]).
Regarding claim 3, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine to perform the NSWO route authorization based on:
receiving an indication from the second network function (see “S204: The UE replies with the EAP response/identity message to the Wi-Fi AP, and the Wi-Fi AP forwards the message to an authentication server function entity” [0185] wherein the EAP response/identity message includes SUCI and indication information of the NSWO manner);
the second network function being part of a network domain to which the first network function belongs;
whether a subscription identifier realm is part of the network domain;
a local configuration (local policy) by an operations and management (OAM) system (see “In another example, the local policy may be network selection logic or access method selection logic, and may include one or more policy forms, for example, a whitelist, a blacklist, and access method prioritization” [0165]);
a subscription identifier (SUCI) containing a corresponding service identifier (ID) (SN name) (see “S207: The authentication server function entity sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAu thentication_Get Request) message to the UDM. The message carries the SUCI and the SN name, or carries the SUCI,the indication information 05 in Indication manner 2 in step S203, and the SN name” [0192]);
or a combination thereof.
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first network function comprises a NSWO function (see “The NSWOAAF is an authentication server function entity and is dedicated to processing an authentication procedure in an NSWO scenario” [0369]).
Regarding claim 8, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second network function comprises an access network function (ANF) (see “4. In this application, a wireless access point (Wi-Fi AP) may also be referred to as a WLAN AP, and may be only an access node, or may be an access node including a control function” [0104]).
Regarding claim 9, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third network function comprises a unified data management (UDM) (see “S207: The authentication server function entity
sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request) message to the UDM” [0192]).
Regarding claim 10, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second request is transmitted to the third network function after an authentication procedure (see “The NSWOAAF is an authentication server function entity and is dedicated to processing an authentication procedure in an NSWO scenario” [0369]).
Regarding claim 11, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the third network function comprises an authentication server function (ASF) (see “Optionally, when the authentication server function entity is the AUSF or the authentication server function entity is the plurality of network elements including the AUSF” [0203]).
Regarding claim 12, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein the second request is transmitted to the third network function as part of an authentication procedure (see “S207: The authentication server function entity sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request) message to the UDM” [0192]).
Claim 13 recites subject matter similar to claim 1 and is therefore rejected on the same basis.
Regarding claim 14, an apparatus for performing a third network function (UDM), the apparatus comprising:
at least one memory; and
at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the apparatus to:
store information corresponding to subscription data of a device using non-seamless wireless local area network offload (NSWO) access, the subscription data including NSWO route authorization information (NSWO mode) (see “the UDM verifies whether the UE has permission to use the NSWO mode. For example, the UDM performs verification based on subscription data of the UE” [0198]);
receive a request (UE authentication obtaining request) from a first network function (NSWOAAF/authentication server function entity) (see “S207: The authentication server function entity
sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request) message to the UDM” [0192]), wherein the processor further to determine to provide the NSWO route authorization information (UE authentication obtaining response/SUCI) to the first network function (see “S210: The UDM replies with a UE authentication obtaining response (Nudm_UEAuthentication_GetResponse) message to the authentication server function entity, where the message carries an AV and the SUPI” [0199]); and
transmit the NSWO route authorization information to the first network function (see citation above UDM transmits UE authentication obtaining response/SUCI to NSWOAAF/authentication server function entity).
Regarding claim 15, Li teaches the apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the apparatus to determine to provide the NSWO route authorization information to the first network function based on:
the request received from the first network function indicating how to route traffic of a device for NSWO access (NSWO manner) (see “S207: The authentication server function entity sends a UE authentication obtaining request (Nudm_UEAuthentication_Get Request) message to the UDM. The message carries the SUCI and the SN name, or carries the SUCI, the indication information 05 in Indication manner 2 in step S203, and the SN name” [0192] which suggests UDM determines authorization for the requested NSWO manner based on the indication information of the NSWO manner received in the UE authentication obtaining request);
a type of the first network function, wherein, if the type is a NSWO function, the third network function provides the NSWO route authorization information;
or a combination thereof.
Claim 16 recites subject matter similar to claim 14 and is therefore rejected on the same basis.
Claim 17 recites subject matter similar to claim 17 and is therefore rejected on the same basis.
Regarding claim 19, Li teaches the method of claim 16, wherein the NSWO route authorization information comprises a list of allowed parameters (AV and SUCI) or a list of forbidden parameters (see “S210: The UDM replies with a UE authentication obtaining response (Nudm_UEAuthentication_GetResponse) message to the authentication server function entity, where the message carries an AV and the SUPI” [0199]).
Claim 20 recites subject matter similar to claim 7 and is therefore rejected on the same basis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 18 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Nam T Huynh whose telephone number is (571)272-5970. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5pm.
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/NAM T HUYNH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
