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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
1. Claims 16, 18, 20-21, 23, 25, 27-28, 30-31, and 33-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al (2020/0037386) in view of Won (2021/0250890) further in view of Ryu et al (2022/0264444).
Regarding claims 16 and 30. Park teaches an AMF and A method performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
receiving, from a user equipment (UE), an uplink non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including request information about modifying a PDU session for a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) (0012 – UL NAS message, 0363 – for change of a set of used S-NSSAI(s), a UE initiates a registration procedure, 0636-0641 – UE request PDU session change (e.g., request to modify);
identifying not to forward a message for session management to a session management function (SMF) entity in case that a network slice-specific authentication and authorization is performed for the S-NSSAT (0642- AMF authenticates the UE by considering information such as S-NSSAI, etc., 0644 – in the registration process, the AMF may reject the registration request of the UE for various reasons. In this case, the AMF may send a reject message (e.g., registration reject message to the UE and 0645 - the registration message is not forwarded to the SMF, 0648 – if the corresponding service/slice has been rejected in an access step of the UE (i.e., step of checking S-NSSAI included in the requested NSSAI and determining whether the S-NSSAI is allowable/acceptable services/slices), the AFM cannot forward or may not forward the SM request message for the service/slice to the SMF. Even in this case, the UE can receive a response to the MM/RM request); and
transmitting, to the UE, a downlink NAS transport message including the message for session management (0642- AMF authenticates the UE by considering information such as S-NSSAI, etc., 0644 – in the registration process, the AMF may reject the registration request of the UE for various reasons. In this case, the AMF may send a reject message (e.g., registration reject message to the UE and 0645 - the registration message is not forwarded to the SMF, 0648 – if the corresponding service/slice has been rejected in an access step of the UE (i.e., step of checking S-NSSAI included in the requested NSSAI and determining whether the S-NSSAI is allowable/acceptable services/slices), the AFM cannot forward or may not forward the SM request message for the service/slice to the SMF. Even in this case, the UE can receive a response to the MM/RM request, 0659 – messages that are transmitted between the UE and the AMF may be commonly referred to ‘UL/DL NAS message”).
Regarding amendment 8/8/2025. Applicant amended and argues prior art does not teach receiving, from the UE, an UL NAS messing including modification request … in case the AMF is performing a network slice-specific authentication and authorization … identify not to forward to a message to a SMF and transmit, to the UE in the DL NAS message, wherein the DL NAS transport message includes cause information indicating that the payload was not forwarded.
Won teaches UE sends UL NAS Transport message for the purpose of PDU session modification (0101, 0489 – request type is “modification request”, the AMF shall send back to the UE the 5GSM message which was not forwarded, and 5GMM cause #28 “Restricted service area”, 0565 – In case, upon sending a single UL 5GSM message which was not forwarded due to routing failure, the AMF can … 0569 – set the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #99 “payload was not forwarded” or 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice”. The AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice, if the 5GSM message could not be forwarded since SMF selection fails, 0572 – otherwise, the AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #90 “payload was not forwarded”, 0616 – set the 5GMM cause IE to 5GMM cause #90 “payload not forwarded”, 0638 – 5GMM cause 28 “Restricted service area”, 0642 – “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG cells only, 0644 – “not subscribed in the slice”).
Won teaches network slice-specific authentication and authorization procedure for an S-NSSAI … or failure, the AMF can or shall include this S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI with the reject cause “S-NSSAI is not available due to the failed or revoked network slice-specific authorization and authentication” (0151, 0234 – Rejected NSSAI contains S-NSSAI(s) which was included in the requested NSSAI but rejected by the network associated with the rejected cause(s), 0236 – which are subject to network slice-specific authentication and authorization, 0269 – the rejected NSSAI containing: 0270 – the S-NSSAI(s) subject to slice specific authentication and authorization which the rejection clause indicating “S-NSSAI not available in the current PLMN, 0446, 0451 and 00681 – UE sends UL NAS Transport messages containing a message requesting to establish non-emergency PDU session, the AMF rejects it by sending the PDU session ID, the request message, and the 5GMM cause #76 “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG only”) and aborting the PDU session establishment procedure.
Won teaches not rejecting the UL NAS modification request in case of emergency (abstract). The DL NAS transport message indicates that the UE is not authorized to make the request … sending an indication that the message was not forwarded … and UE aborting the procedure for the session management (0022-0023).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park to include a 5GMM cause code(s) as taught by Won in order to notify the UE that the payload was not forwarded thereby enabling the UE to terminate the NAS transport procedure which saves UE battery life.
Regarding RCE dated 4/3/2026. Park in view of Won do not explicitly teach the uplink NAS transport message including modification request information and a 5G system session management (5GSM) message … the 5GSM message not being forwarded to the SMS entity because of ongoing NSAA procedure for the S-NSSAI.
Ryu teaches the 5GMM message piggybacking the 5GSM message may be an uplink NAS transport message … for session management request (e.g., PDU session establishment, PDU session modification request, and/or the like … for a single-network slice selection information S-NSSAI … for an existing PDU session (e.g., ongoing) (figure 17, 0280). The AMF may receive the UL NAS transport message and determine that the PLMN’s maximum number of PDU sessions has reached for the UE based on a local policy, subscription information of the UE, a load condition of the PLMN, a number of active PDU sessions for the UE and/or the like. The AMF may not forward the payload container (e.g., a PDU session establishment request message, session request message) in response to the determination (e.g., the PLMN’s maximum number of PDU session has reached for the UE) … the AMF may send back to the UE the payload container (e.g,. 5GSM message) which was not forwarded to the SMF and indicates 5GMM cause #65 “maximum number of PDU sessions reached” (0282).
In an example, the UE may send a 5GMM request message to an AMF via a base station. The 5GMM request message may be an UL NAS transport message. In an example, the UL NAS transport message may piggyback a payload container, S-NSSAI, DNN, and/or the like. In an example, the AMF may employ a NAS level congestion control for a specific slice. The AMF may employ the NAS level congestion control for the specific slice in response to receiving an indication indicating that the specific slice is congested from an SMF and the AMF may determine not to forward the received payload container to the SMF if the S-NSSAI indicates the specific slice (e.g., ongoing NSSA procedure). The AMF may determine to reject the 5GMM request and send a 5GMM response message to the UE in response to determining do not forward the received payload container. The 5GMM response message may comprise a cause, time value, the payload container and/or the like … the UE is not allowed to initiate a PDU session establishment procedure, a PDU session modification procedure for the specific slice (e.g., the S-NSSAI) while the timer T running (0291).
An AMF may receive an UL NAS transport message and determines to reject the PDU session establishment for the slice in response to receiving an UL NAS transport message and based on the determination (e.g,. PDU session quota exceeded/reached) (e.g,. ongoing NSSAA procedure for the S-NSSAI) (0307).
In response in determining to reject the PDU session establishment, the AMF may not forward the payload container (e.g., a PDU session establishment request message, session request message) to an SMF and may send a DL NAS transport message indicating a rejection of the request. In an example, the DL NAS transport message may comprise the payload container (e.g., 5GSM message) which was not forwarded to the SMF, 5GMM cause indicating “maximum number of PDU sessions for specific slice reached” in response to the determining (figure 23, 0308).
The request type may comprise an initial request, an existing PDU session, an initial emergency request, existing emergency PDU session, modification request, and/or the like (0333).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park and Won to include 5GMM cause code(s) as taught by Ryu in order to notify the UE that the payload was not forwarded and the UE is not allowed to initiate a PDU session modification procedure for the specific slice (e.g., the S-NSSAI) while the timer T running thereby saving UE battery life.
Regarding claim 23. Park teaches a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
transmitting, to an access and mobility management function (AMF) entity, an uplink non-access stratum (NAS) transport message including request information about modifying a PDU session for a single-network slice selection assistance information (S-NSSAI) (0012 – UL NAS message, 0363 – for change of a set of used S-NSSAI(s), a UE initiates a registration procedure, 0636-0641 – UE request PDU session change (e.g., request to modify); and
receiving, from the AMF entity, a downlink NAS transport message including the message for session management, wherein the message for session management is not to forward to a session management function (SMF) entity in case that a network slice-specific authentication and authorization is performed for the S-NSSAI (0642- AMF authenticates the UE by considering information such as S-NSSAI, etc., 0644 – in the registration process, the AMF may reject the registration request of the UE for various reasons. In this case, the AMF may send a reject message (e.g., registration reject message to the UE and 0645 - the registration message is not forwarded to the SMF, 0648 – if the corresponding service/slice has been rejected in an access step of the UE (i.e., step of checking S-NSSAI included in the requested NSSAI and determining whether the S-NSSAI is allowable/acceptable services/slices), the AFM cannot forward or may not forward the SM request message for the service/slice to the SMF. Even in this case, the UE can receive a response to the MM/RM request, 0659 – messages that are transmitted between the UE and the AMF may be commonly referred to ‘UL/DL NAS message”).
Regarding amendment 8/8/2025. Applicant amended and argues prior art does not teach receiving, from the UE, an UL NAS messing including modification request … in case the AMF is performing a network slice-specific authentication and authorization … identify not to forward to a message to a SMF and transmit, to the UE in the DL NAS message, wherein the DL NAS transport message includes cause information indicating that the payload was not forwarded.
Won teaches UE sends UL NAS Transport message for the purpose of PDU session modification (0101, 0489 – request type is “modification request”, the AMF shall send back to the UE the 5GSM message which was not forwarded, and 5GMM cause #28 “Restricted service area”, 0565 – In case, upon sending a single UL 5GSM message which was not forwarded due to routing failure, the AMF can … 0569 – set the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #99 “payload was not forwarded” or 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice”. The AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice, if the 5GSM message could not be forwarded since SMF selection fails, 0572 – otherwise, the AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #90 “payload was not forwarded”, 0616 – set the 5GMM cause IE to 5GMM cause #90 “payload not forwarded”, 0638 – 5GMM cause 28 “Restricted service area”, 0642 – “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG cells only, 0644 – “not subscribed in the slice”).
Won teaches network slice-specific authentication and authorization procedure for an S-NSSAI … or failure, the AMF can or shall include this S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI with the reject cause “S-NSSAI is not available due to the failed or revoked network slice-specific authorization and authentication” (0151, 0234 – Rejected NSSAI contains S-NSSAI(s) which was included in the requested NSSAI but rejected by the network associated with the rejected cause(s), 0236 – which are subject to network slice-specific authentication and authorization, 0269 – the rejected NSSAI containing: 0270 – the S-NSSAI(s) subject to slice specific authentication and authorization which the rejection clause indicating “S-NSSAI not available in the current PLMN, 0446, 0451 and 00681 – UE sends UL NAS Transport messages containing a message requesting to establish non-emergency PDU session, the AMF rejects it by sending the PDU session ID, the request message, and the 5GMM cause #76 “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG only”) and aborting the PDU session establishment procedure.
Won teaches not rejecting the UL NAS modification request in case of emergency (abstract). The DL NAS transport message indicates that the UE is not authorized to make the request … sending an indication that the message was not forwarded … and UE aborting the procedure for the session management (0022-0023).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park to include a 5GMM cause code(s) as taught by Won in order to notify the UE that the payload was not forwarded thereby enabling the UE to terminate the NAS transport procedure which saves UE battery life.
Regarding RCE dated 4/3/2026. Park in view of Won do not explicitly teach the uplink NAS transport message including modification request information and a 5G system session management (5GSM) message … the 5GSM message not being forwarded to the SMS entity because of ongoing NSAA procedure for the S-NSSAI.
Ryu teaches the 5GMM message piggybacking the 5GSM message may be an uplink NAS transport message … for session management request (e.g., PDU session establishment, PDU session modification request, and/or the like … for a single-network slice selection information S-NSSAI … for an existing PDU session (e.g., ongoing) (figure 17, 0280). The AMF may receive the UL NAS transport message and determine that the PLMN’s maximum number of PDU sessions has reached for the UE based on a local policy, subscription information of the UE, a load condition of the PLMN, a number of active PDU sessions for the UE and/or the like. The AMF may not forward the payload container (e.g., a PDU session establishment request message, session request message) in response to the determination (e.g., the PLMN’s maximum number of PDU session has reached for the UE) … the AMF may send back to the UE the payload container (e.g,. 5GSM message) which was not forwarded to the SMF and indicates 5GMM cause #65 “maximum number of PDU sessions reached” (0282).
In an example, the UE may send a 5GMM request message to an AMF via a base station. The 5GMM request message may be an UL NAS transport message. In an example, the UL NAS transport message may piggyback a payload container, S-NSSAI, DNN, and/or the like. In an example, the AMF may employ a NAS level congestion control for a specific slice. The AMF may employ the NAS level congestion control for the specific slice in response to receiving an indication indicating that the specific slice is congested from an SMF and the AMF may determine not to forward the received payload container to the SMF if the S-NSSAI indicates the specific slice (e.g., ongoing NSSA procedure). The AMF may determine to reject the 5GMM request and send a 5GMM response message to the UE in response to determining do not forward the received payload container. The 5GMM response message may comprise a cause, time value, the payload container and/or the like … the UE is not allowed to initiate a PDU session establishment procedure, a PDU session modification procedure for the specific slice (e.g., the S-NSSAI) while the timer T running (0291).
An AMF may receive an UL NAS transport message and determines to reject the PDU session establishment for the slice in response to receiving an UL NAS transport message and based on the determination (e.g,. PDU session quota exceeded/reached) (e.g,. ongoing NSSAA procedure for the S-NSSAI) (0307).
In response in determining to reject the PDU session establishment, the AMF may not forward the payload container (e.g., a PDU session establishment request message, session request message) to an SMF and may send a DL NAS transport message indicating a rejection of the request. In an example, the DL NAS transport message may comprise the payload container (e.g., 5GSM message) which was not forwarded to the SMF, 5GMM cause indicating “maximum number of PDU sessions for specific slice reached” in response to the determining (figure 23, 0308).
The request type may comprise an initial request, an existing PDU session, an initial emergency request, existing emergency PDU session, modification request, and/or the like (0333).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park and Won to include 5GMM cause code(s) as taught by Ryu in order to notify the UE that the payload was not forwarded and the UE is not allowed to initiate a PDU session modification procedure for the specific slice (e.g., the S-NSSAI) while the timer T running thereby saving UE battery life.
Regarding claims 18, 25 and 31. Park does not teach wherein the uplink NAS transport message includes a request type information element (IE) set to modification request.
Won teaches UE sends UL NAS Transport message for the purpose of PDU session modification (0101, 0489 – request type is “modification request”, the AMF shall send back to the UE the 5GSM message which was not forwarded, and 5GMM cause #28 “Restricted service area”, 0565 – In case, upon sending a single UL 5GSM message which was not forwarded due to routing failure, the AMF can … 0569 – set the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #99 “payload was not forwarded” or 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice”. The AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #91 “DNN not supported or not subscribed in the slice, if the 5GSM message could not be forwarded since SMF selection fails, 0572 – otherwise, the AMF sets the 5GMM cause IE to the 5GMM cause #90 “payload was not forwarded”, 0616 – set the 5GMM cause IE to 5GMM cause #90 “payload not forwarded”, 0638 – 5GMM cause 28 “Restricted service area”, 0642 – “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG cells only, 0644 – “not subscribed in the slice”).
Won teaches network slice-specific authentication and authorization procedure for an S-NSSAI … or failure, the AMF can or shall include this S-NSSAI in the rejected NSSAI with the reject cause “S-NSSAI is not available due to the failed or revoked network slice-specific authorization and authentication” (0151, 0234 – Rejected NSSAI contains S-NSSAI(s) which was included in the requested NSSAI but rejected by the network associated with the rejected cause(s), 0236 – which are subject to network slice-specific authentication and authorization, 0269 – the rejected NSSAI containing: 0270 – the S-NSSAI(s) subject to slice specific authentication and authorization which the rejection clause indicating “S-NSSAI not available in the current PLMN, 0446, 0451 and 00681 – UE sends UL NAS Transport messages containing a message requesting to establish non-emergency PDU session, the AMF rejects it by sending the PDU session ID, the request message, and the 5GMM cause #76 “Not authorized for this CAG or authorized for CAG only”) and aborting the PDU session establishment procedure.
Won teaches not rejecting the UL NAS modification request in case of emergency (abstract). The DL NAS transport message indicates that the UE is not authorized to make the request … sending an indication that the message was not forwarded … and UE aborting the procedure for the session management (0022-0023).
Ryu teaches the UL NAS transport message includes a request type information element (IE) (0280, 0282, 0333 – set to initial request, existing PDU session, initial emergency request, existing emergency PDU session, modification request, and/or the like).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park to set the IE to “modification request” as taught by Won in order to enable the AMF to authenticate and authorize the single-network slice and notify the UE that the payload was not forwarded thereby enabling the UE to terminate the NAS transport procedure which saves UE battery life.
Regarding claims 20, 27 and 33. Park does not teach transmitting, to the UE, a registration accept message including a pending network slice selection assistance information (NSSAI).
Won teaches the AMF can or shall in the Registration Accept message include (0238): pending NSSAI containing one or more S-NSSAIs for which network slice-specific authentication and authorization will be performed (0240, 0243-0244, 0250), service area list (0241). In some embodiments, the UE receiving the rejected NSSAI in the Registration Accept message takes the following actions based on the rejection cause in the rejected NSSAI (0260): S-NSSAI not available in the current PLMN: the UE can or shall add the rejected S-NSSAI(s) in the rejected NSSAI for the current PLMN (0261): S-NSSAI not available in the current registration area (0262).
Won further teaches in some embodiments, if required by operator policy, the AMF can or shall include the NSSAI inclusion mode IE in the registration accept message (0389). Upon receipt of the Registration Accept message: a) if the message includes the NSSAI inclusion mode IE, the UE can or shall operate in the NSSAI inclusion mode indicated in the NSSAI inclusion mode IE over the current access within the current PLMN and its equivalent PLMN(s), if any, in the current registration area or (0390) b) otherwise if; the UE has NSSAI inclusion mode for the current PLMN and access type stored in the UE, the UE can or shall operate in the stored NSSAI inclusion mode (0392) or the UE does not have NSSAI inclusion mode for the current PLMN and the access type stored in the UE and if the UE is performing the registration procedure over (0393): 3GPP access, the UE can or shall operate in NSSAI inclusion mode D in the current PLMN and the current access type (0394) or non-3GPP access, the UE can or shall operate in NSSAI inclusion mode C in the current PLMN and the current access type (0395). The AMF may include the operator-defined access category definitions in the Registration Accept message (0396, 0402).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park to include pending NSSAI in the registration accept message as taught by Won in order to notify the UE that network slice-specific authentication and authorization will be performed by the network.
Regarding claims 21, 28 and 34. Park does not teach receiving, from the UE, a registration request message including a requested NSSAI over a same access type, or both different access types, wherein the pending NSSAI includes at least one S-NSSAI for which the network slice-specific authentication and authorization is ongoing, based on the requested NSSAI.
Won teaches the AMF can or shall in the Registration Accept message include (0238): pending NSSAI containing one or more S-NSSAIs for which network slice-specific authentication and authorization will be performed (0240, 0243-0244, 0250), service area list (0241). In some embodiments, the UE receiving the rejected NSSAI in the Registration Accept message takes the following actions based on the rejection cause in the rejected NSSAI (0260): S-NSSAI not available in the current PLMN: the UE can or shall add the rejected S-NSSAI(s) in the rejected NSSAI for the current PLMN (0261): S-NSSAI not available in the current registration area (0262).
Won further teaches in some embodiments, if required by operator policy, the AMF can or shall include the NSSAI inclusion mode IE in the registration accept message (0389). Upon receipt of the Registration Accept message: a) if the message includes the NSSAI inclusion mode IE, the UE can or shall operate in the NSSAI inclusion mode indicated in the NSSAI inclusion mode IE over the current access within the current PLMN and its equivalent PLMN(s), if any, in the current registration area or (0390) b) otherwise if; the UE has NSSAI inclusion mode for the current PLMN and access type stored in the UE, the UE can or shall operate in the stored NSSAI inclusion mode (0392) or the UE does not have NSSAI inclusion mode for the current PLMN and the access type stored in the UE and if the UE is performing the registration procedure over (0393): 3GPP access, the UE can or shall operate in NSSAI inclusion mode D in the current PLMN and the current access type (0394) or non-3GPP access, the UE can or shall operate in NSSAI inclusion mode C in the current PLMN and the current access type (0395). The AMF may include the operator-defined access category definitions in the Registration Accept message (0396, 0402).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Park to further include an NSSAI inclusion mode IE as taught by Won in order to notify the UE that network slice-specific authentication and authorization will be performed by the network for NSSAI inclusion mode D (e.g., same access type = 3GPP) or NSSAI inclusion mode C (e.g., different access type = non-3GPP).
Allowable Subject Matter
2. Claims 22, 29 and 35 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
3. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
---(2021/0194634) Sedlacek et al teaches the indication of non-delivery is an indication of non-delivery of the session management message by the AMF to the SMF (see all especially claim 1).
4. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BARRY W TAYLOR whose telephone number is (571)272-7509. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 7-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Anderson can be reached at 571-272-4177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/BARRY W TAYLOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
Prosecution Insights