Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/348,653

FIRST NETWORK ELEMENT, FIRST DEVICE, AND SECOND DEVICE

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Jul 07, 2023
Priority
Jan 15, 2021 — continuation of PCTCN2021072181
Examiner
LEE, CHI HO A
Art Unit
2475
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd.
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
92%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 92% — above average
92%
Career Allowance Rate
1258 granted / 1367 resolved
+34.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +5% lift
Without
With
+4.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
1396
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.6%
-36.4% vs TC avg
§103
58.3%
+18.3% vs TC avg
§102
11.1%
-28.9% vs TC avg
§112
10.6%
-29.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1367 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 § 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 1-5, 10-11 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by IANEV et al PG PUB 2022/0039046. Re Claims 1, 10 and 15, IANEV et al teaches in figure 1, AMF 71(a first network element comprising a transceiver, memory and processor) receives a UE analytics report capability (a first request message) transmitted by a UE (a first device) in a NAS NAS message (a first format) wherein the UE analytics report capability being configured to invokes a service of UDM/UDR 75 (a network element in a core network) ; the AMF 71 transmits a Nudm_SDM_Get service OR “any other notation for a service request”, in this case, wherein the AMF 71 relaying the NAS message (the first format) to the UDM/UDR containing the UE analytics report capability [0037 0038]. Re Claim 2, IANVE et al teaches based on the UE analytics report capability (the first request message) encoded in the NAS message (the first container), the AMF 71 determines the UMD/UDR 75 (the second device) to transmit the NAS message (the first container). Re Claims 3, 16, IANVE et al teaches the UDM/DDR (the second device) generates a packet (a second container) encoded with Nudm_SUM_Get_ response (a first reply message) based on the UE analytics report capability (the first request message) and transmits to the packet to the UE 30 (the first device) [0039] via AMF 71. Re Claims 4, 11, IANVE et al teaches based on the generated packet (the second container) containing the Nudm_SDM_Get response (a first reply message) from UDM/UDR 75, the AMF 71 determines UE 30 (the first device) and transmit the generated packet (the second container) to the UE 30 (the first device) [0045 0046). Re Claims 5, 17, IANVE et al teaches the UE analytics report capability (the first request message) is recognizable by the UDM/UDR 75 (the second device). Re Claim 14, IANVE et al teaches the Registration Request message containing a UE analytics report capability (an invoked service type). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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. Claims 7-9, 12, 13, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IANEV et al PG PUB 2022/0039046 in view of STOJANOVSKI et al PG PUB 2021/0168751. Re Claims 7, 12 and 18, IANEV et al teaches UE generating the NAS message (the first container) for encoding the UE analytics report capability (the first registration message) for invoking a request with the UDM/UDR 75 (the second device). IANEV et al fails to explicitly teach “generating a second request message”. However, STOJANOVSKI et al teaches if old AMF fail the integrity check of the Registration request [0075], after successful authentication in new AMF, a new registration request is performed [0086 0087] wherein the new registration request is forwarded to the UDM/UDR 75 (the second device) in IANEV et al. One skilled in the art would have been motivated to have transmitted in “second request message” to mitigate for the failure. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one skilled to have combined the teachings. Re Claim 8, IANVE et al teaches the AMF receives Nudm_SUM_Get_ response (a first reply message) from the UDM/DDR (the second device) based on the new registration message (the first request message) and generates a Registration Accept message (a second reply message) based on the Nudm_SUM_Get_ response (the first reply message) and transmits to the Registration Accept message to the UE 30 (the first device) [0039]. Re Claims 9, 13, 19, IANVE et al teaches the Registration Accept message (the second reply message) is recognizable by the UE while the Nudm_SUM_Get_ response (the first reply message) is recognizable at the AMF and not the UE (the first device). Re Claim 20, IANVE et al teaches the NAS message containing a UE analytics report capability to invoke the service type. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments filed 10/13/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Re Claims 1, 10 and 15, Applicant argues that “AMF invokes the UDM/UDR service…, rather than directly receiving “a request to invoke the UDM/UDR service” message and forwarding it unchanged. In particular, Applicant argues that “…then the first container is transmitted from the terminal device to the first network element and then directly forwarded to the another network element” However, such limitation is not claimed. IANEV teaches the UE can send/relay the “UE analytic report capability” (the first request message) in Registration Request message, RRC signaling, NAS signaling, PDU session establishing or UE Configuration update procedures. This suggest that “a first container” for transmitting the “UE analytic report capability” can be encoded in various containers. IANEV further teaches the AMF 71 invokes Nudm_SDM_Get service to the UDM/UDR 75 or any other notation for a service request. This suggest that the “container” for transmitting the same “UE analytic report capability” can be formatted to any other notations for the service request and not restricted to the “Nudm_SDM_Get service”. IANEV et al teaches that the UE can relay the registration request message or any other message formats to the AMF 71 OR to any other network node in the core network [0037]. This suggest that the registration message or any other message format from the UE can be relayed or “forwarded unchanged” or “directly forwarded” to the UDM/DDR from the AMF 71. Applicant is requested to argue this matter in the next OA. Conclusion THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-3130. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30AM-5PM ET. 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, KASSIM KHALAD can be reached at 5712703770. 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. /ANDREW LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2475
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 07, 2023
Application Filed
Jul 14, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103
Oct 13, 2025
Response Filed
Nov 24, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103
Jan 21, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Feb 23, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Mar 13, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
May 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
92%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+4.6%)
2y 3m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 1367 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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