DETAILED ACTION
This Action is in response to Applicant’s amendment filed on 4/22/2026. Claims 1-20 are still pending in the present application. This Action is made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-6, 8, 9, 11-16, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Qiao et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0360371)
Referring to Claim 1, Qiao et al. disclose a method of communication performed by a location management function (LMF) (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF), comprising: receiving one or more positioning capability reports from a user equipment (UE), the one or more positioning capability reports including a set of values for a set of positioning capability parameters of the UE (pars 400 and 401, LMF receives UE capability notification; pars 426, LMF receives UE positioning capability information from UE); and transmitting the set of values to an access and mobility management function (AMF) via one or more capability transfer messages to enable the AMF to store the set of values for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (pars 400 and 401, LMF sends UE capability notification to AMF; pars 427-434, LMF sends capability to AMF; par 436, positioning), wherein the set of values is non-variable for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (par 436, capability information used in position, equal, level/area).
Referring to Claim 2 as applied to Claim 1 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, further comprising: receiving, from the AMF, a location services request for a location of the UE (par 425, positioning capability request including service level/area, etc.).
Referring to Claim 3 as applied to Claim 2 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, further comprising: performing at least one positioning procedure with the UE to determine the location of the UE (par 436, positioning).
Referring to Claim 4 as applied to Claim 3 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, wherein the one or more positioning capability reports are obtained from the UE during the at least one positioning procedure (pars 400, 401, and 436, positioning, capability).
Referring to Claim 5 as applied to Claim 3 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, wherein the at least one positioning procedure comprises: at least one downlink-based positioning procedure, at least one uplink-based positioning procedure, at least one downlink-and-uplink-based positioning procedure, or any combination thereof (par 380. DL-TDOA).
Referring to Claim 6 as applied to Claim 5 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, wherein: the at least one downlink-based positioning procedure is at least one downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) procedure, at least one downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) procedure, or any combination thereof, the at least one uplink-based positioning procedure is at least one uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) procedure, and the at least one downlink-and-uplink-based positioning procedure is at least one round-trip-time (RTT)-based procedure (par 380, DL-TDOA).
Referring to Claim 8, Qiao et al. disclose a method of communication performed by an access and mobility management function (AMF) (pars 400 and 401, AMF; par 426, AMF), comprising: transmitting, to a location management function (LMF), a location services request for a location of a user equipment (UE) (par 425, positioning capability request including service level/area); and receiving a set of values for a set of positioning capability parameters of the UE from the LMF via one or more capability transfer messages (pars 400 and 401, LMF sends UE capability notification to AMF; pars 427-434, LMF sends capability to AMF), wherein the set of values is non-variable for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (par 436, capability information used in position, equal, level/area).
Referring to Claim 9 as applied to Claim 8 above, Qiao et al. disclose the method, further comprising: storing the set of values for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (pars 400, 401, and 427-436, positioning).
Referring to Claim 11, Qiao et al. disclose a location management function (LMF) (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF), comprising: one or more memories (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF; Also Fig. 14 and pars 352 and 353, memory); one or more transceivers (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF; Also Fig. 14); and one or more processors (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF; Also Fig. 14 and pars 352 and 353, Processing System) communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, (pars 400 and 401, LMF; par 426, LMF) the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers one or more positioning capability reports from a user equipment (UE), the one or more positioning capability reports including a set of values for a set of positioning capability parameters of the UE (pars 400 and 401, LMF receives UE capability notification; pars 426, LMF receives UE positioning capability information from UE); and transmit, via the one or more transceivers the set of values to an access and mobility management function (AMF) via one or more capability transfer messages to enable the AMF to store the set of values for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (pars 400 and 401, LMF sends UE capability notification to AMF; pars 427-434, LMF sends capability to AMF; par 436, positioning), wherein the set of values is non-variable for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (par 436, capability information used in position, equal, level/area).
Referring to Claim 12 as applied to Claim 11 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: receive, via the one or more transceivers from the AMF, a location services request for a location of the UE (par 425, positioning capability request including service level/area, etc.).
Referring to Claim 13 as applied to Claim 12 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: perform at least one positioning procedure with the UE to determine the location of the UE (par 436, positioning).
Referring to Claim 14 as applied to Claim 13 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein the one or more positioning capability reports are obtained from the UE during the at least one positioning procedure (pars 400, 401, and 436, positioning, capability).
Referring to Claim 15 as applied to Claim 13 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein the at least one positioning procedure comprises: at least one downlink-based positioning procedure, at least one uplink-based positioning procedure, at least one downlink-and-uplink-based positioning procedure, or any combination thereof (par 380. DL-TDOA).
Referring to Claim 16 as applied to Claim 15 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein: the at least one downlink-based positioning procedure is at least one downlink time difference of arrival (DL-TDOA) procedure, at least one downlink angle of departure (DL-AoD) procedure, or any combination thereof, the at least one uplink-based positioning procedure is at least one uplink time difference of arrival (UL-TDOA) procedure, and the at least one downlink-and-uplink-based positioning procedure is at least one round-trip-time (RTT)-based procedure (par 380, DL-TDOA).
Referring to Claim 18, Qiao et al. disclose an access and mobility management function (AMF) (pars 400 and 401, AMF; Fig. 14 and par 426, AMF), comprising: one or more memories (pars 400 and 401, AMF; par 426, AMF; Fig. 14 and par 352, memory); one or more transceivers (pars 400 and 401, AMF; par 426, AMF; Fig. 14); and one or more processors (pars 400 and 401, AMF; par 426, AMF; Fig. 14 and par 352, Processing System) communicatively coupled to the one or more memories and the one or more transceivers, the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, configured to: transmit, via the one or more transceivers to a location management function (LMF), a location services request for a location of a user equipment (UE) (par 425, positioning capability request including service level/area); and receive, via the one or more transceivers a set of values for a set of positioning capability parameters of the UE from the LMF via one or more capability transfer messages (pars 400 and 401, LMF sends UE capability notification to AMF; pars 427-434, LMF sends capability to AMF), wherein the set of values is non-variable for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (par 436, capability information used in position, equal, level/area).
Referring to Claim 19 as applied to Claim 18 above, Qiao et al. disclose the LMF, wherein the one or more processors, either alone or in combination, are further configured to: store, in the one or more memories, the set of values for subsequent positioning sessions involving the UE (pars 400, 401, and 427-436, positioning).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/22/2026 have been fully considered but are
not persuasive.
Applicant argues on page 7 of the Remarks that Qiao et al. do not disclose non-variable values for subsequent positioning session. Examiner respectfully disagrees. In pars 400 and 401, Qiao et al. disclose that LMF receives UE capability notification. Further, pars 426 shows LMF receives UE positioning capability information from UE. Par 436 shows the same unchanged capability information used in positioning, e.g. at least the level/area.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 extension fee 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 SUHAIL KHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7187. The examiner can normally be reached on M-TH 8:30am-6:30pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rafael Perez-Gutierrez can be reached on 5712727915. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. 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.
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/Suhail Khan/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2642
Prosecution Insights