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 .
This action is in response to remarks/amendment filed 8/01/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed August 01, 2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner agrees with applicant’s remarks that “Kuge generally discloses registration procedures associated with a deregistered UE.” The examiner, however, respectfully disagrees that Kuge does not disclose or suggest the claimed "unavailability period," nor does Kuge disclose that the UE performs initial registration specifically "to come out of the unavailability period and resume normal services," as recited in Claim 1.
Kuge discloses very clearly including a registration request to the AMF, In connection management, a CM state for each UE is managed. The CM state may be synchronized between the UE and the AMF. The Connection Management (CM), a CM state includes a non-connected state (CM-IDLE state) and a connected state (CM-CONNECTED state). In the CM-IDLE state, the UE is in the RM-REGISTERED state, but does not have NAS signaling connection established with the AMF via the N1 interface. The UE may initiate the registration procedure in a case that a context of each apparatus needs to be updated due to disconnection and deactivation of a PDU session. In addition, in a case that there is a change in capability information and/or a preference, related to PDU session establishment of the UE, the UE may initiate the registration procedure. Kuge further discloses in a case that each apparatus is 5GMM-REGISTERED, the UE_A 10 may start transmission and/or reception of user data and a control message, or may respond to paging. In addition, note that, in a case that each apparatus is 5GMM-REGISTERED, the UE_A 10 may perform a registration procedure other than a registration procedure for initial registration, and/or a service request procedure, supplies the missing “return path” from unavailability in deregistered state. It ties that return path to known registration signaling, including a REGISTRATION REQUEST to the AMF, that is, performs an initial registration to come out of unavailability and that resume is implied implicitly (paras. 0070-0073, 0152, 0214). Kuge, therefore properly anticipate claim 1. Applicant’s attempt to overcome the rejection deemed not persuasive, the rejection has been maintained.
With reference to Applicant’s remarks regarding claim 4, Kuge, as noted above, fairly discloses deactivation and restoration of N1 mode capability for access. If N1 mode was disabled by the prior deregistration, UE re-enables N1 mode capability for 3GPP access via management connection, management may be performed for the CM state in 3GPP access and the CM state in a non-3GPP access (paras. 0072, 0073). Applicant’s attempt to overcome the rejection deemed not persuasive, the rejection has been maintained.
With reference to claims 5-7, examiner believes the limitation is fairly disclosed as discussed below with their rejection provided in the claim rejection made via the office action maintaining their rejection.
With reference to claim 9, the claim recites similar limitation addressed above with claims 1 and 4 and for reason noted therein, anticipates claim 9, maintaining their rejection.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-7, 9-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuge (US 2022/0369220).
Regarding claims 1, Kuge discloses a method to deactivate an unavailability period in a deregistered state in a wireless communication network (the Registration Management (RM) state includes a deregistered state (RM-DEREGISTERED state) and a registered state (RM-REGISTERED state). In the RM-DEREGISTERED state, the UE is not registered with the network para. 0069), comprising:
detecting whether a user equipment (UE) performs an initial registration to come out of the unavailability period and resume normal services (procedure for initial registration of a UE and a procedure for periodic registration or registration based on movement, each apparatus may independently manage the registration state (registered state or deregistered state) for the 3GPP access and the registration state for the non-3GPP access, and a communication means are provided which are used to implement Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization in 5GS. In a case that the UE does not receive the registration accept message or the registration reject message even after a prescribed time period has elapsed after transmitting the registration request message, the UE may recognize that the request from the UE is rejected. Each apparatus may complete the registration procedure based on the transmission and/or reception of the registration reject message) (abstract; paras. 0150, 0152, 0214, 0238, 0239); and
controlling the user equipment (UE) in the deregistered state to initiate a registration procedure for initial registration, when the user equipment (UE) performs initial registration to come out of the unavailability period and resume the normal services (the UE may resume (start) a new function, along with the update of the configuration information of the UE. In other words, the apparatus in the core network may initiate the present procedure and further transmit a control message and control information of the present procedure to the UE so as to cause the UE to update the configuration information of the UE that can be identified using these pieces of control information. In addition, by causing update of the configuration information of the UE, the apparatus in the core network may cause stop of the function being performed by the UE, or may cause the UE to resume (start) a new function …… the AMF transmits the Configuration update command message to the UE via the 5G AN (or the gNB) (S800), and thereby initiates the UE configuration update procedure) (paras. 0214, 0261, 0259).
Regarding claim 2, Kuge discloses wherein the user equipment is in a 5GMM-DEREGISTERED state (the UE has received the registration reject message for the current PLMN (an RM_DEREGISTERED state or a 5GMM-DEREGISTERED state) (para. 0239).
Regarding claim 3, Kuge discloses wherein the user equipment (UE) in the deregistered state initiates the registration procedure for initial registration by sending a REGISTRATION REQUEST message to an AMF (AMF receives the registration request message, the AMF can perform 1st condition fulfillment determination. The 1st condition fulfillment determination is a condition fulfillment determination for determining whether the network (or the new AMF) accepts the request from the UE) (para. 0168).
Regarding claims 4, 9, Kuge discloses a method (apparatus/UE) to deactivate an unavailability period in a deregistered state in a wireless communication network (the Registration Management (RM) state includes a deregistered state (RM-DEREGISTERED state) and a registered state (RM-REGISTERED state). In the RM-DEREGISTERED state, the UE is not registered with the network para. 0069), comprising:
detecting whether the user equipment (UE) enables an N1 mode capability for 3GPP access again to come out of unavailability period and resume normal services (procedure for initial registration of a UE and a procedure for periodic registration or registration based on movement, each apparatus may independently manage the registration state (registered state or deregistered state) for the 3GPP access and the registration state for the non-3GPP access, and a communication means are provided which are used to implement Network Slice Specific Authentication and Authorization in 5GS. In a case that the UE does not receive the registration accept message or the registration reject message even after a prescribed time period has elapsed after transmitting the registration request message, the UE may recognize that the request from the UE is rejected. Each apparatus may complete the registration procedure based on the transmission and/or reception of the registration reject message. The UE has NAS signaling connection established with the AMF via the N1 interface (N1 connection)) (abstract; paras. 0150, 0152, 0238, 0239, 0072); and
controlling the user equipment (UE) to enable the N1 mode capability for 3GPP access when the N1 mode capability for 3GPP access was disabled due to the user equipment (UE) initiated de-registration procedure for 3GPP access or for 3GPP access and non-3GPP access, the user equipment (UE) is operating in single-registration mode and the user equipment (UE) comes out of the unavailability period and resume normal services (the UE may resume (start) a new function, along with the update of the configuration information of the UE. In other words, the apparatus in the core network may initiate the present procedure and further transmit a control message and control information of the present procedure to the UE so as to cause the UE to update the configuration information of the UE that can be identified using these pieces of control information. In addition, by causing update of the configuration information of the UE, the apparatus in the core network may cause stop of the function being performed by the UE, or may cause the UE to resume (start) a new function …… the AMF transmits the Configuration update command message to the UE via the 5G AN (or the gNB) (S800), and thereby initiates the UE configuration update procedure, wherein the UE has NAS signaling connection established with the AMF via the N1 interface (N1 connection)) (paras. 0261, 0259, 0072). Kuge further discloses transmission/receiving unit (transceiver 320, fig. 3) and a processor (controller 300, fig. 3) configured to perform operations (paras. 0052, 0053).
Regarding claims 5, 10, Kuge discloses controlling the user equipment (UE) comes out of the unavailability period, if the N1 mode capability for the 3GPP access is disabled due to the user equipment (UE) initiated the de-registration procedure (the UE may initiate the registration procedure in a case that a context of each apparatus needs to be updated due to disconnection (disabled) and deactivation of a PDU session. In addition, in a case that there is a change in capability information and/or a preference, related to PDU session establishment of the UE, the UE may initiate the registration procedure. A de-registration request message including rejected NSSAI and an access type, the rejected NSSAI includes at least a combination of one piece of S-NSSAI and one cause value, the access type is information indicating a 3GPP access or a non-3GPP access or both accesses, and the controller is configured to ignore the S-NSSAI in a case that the access type is information indicating one of the 3GPP access or the non-3GPP access and further that the UE is in a deregistered state for the other access type ) (paras. 0014, 0152).
Regarding claims 6, 11, Kuge discloses controlling the user equipment (UE) to enable the N1 mode capability, when the user equipment (UE) deactivates the unavailability period (the UE may resume (start) a new function, along with the update of the configuration information of the UE. In other words, the apparatus in the core network may initiate the present procedure and further transmit a control message and control information of the present procedure to the UE so as to cause the UE to update the configuration information of the UE that can be identified using these pieces of control information. In addition, by causing update of the configuration information of the UE, the apparatus in the core network may cause stop of the function being performed by the UE, or may cause the UE to resume (start) a new function …… the AMF transmits the Configuration update command message to the UE via the 5G AN (or the gNB) (S800), and thereby initiates the UE configuration update procedure, wherein the UE has NAS signaling connection established with the AMF via the N1 interface (N1 connection)) (paras. 0261, 0259, 0072).
Regarding claims 7, 12, Kuge discloses controlling the user equipment (UE) to initiate the registration procedure for initial registration, when the user equipment (UE) deactivates the unavailability period (the MM message may include a registration request message, a registration accept message, a registration reject message, a registration release request message, a registration release accept message, a UE configuration update request message, a UE configuration update accept message, and the like. The procedure for MM may include a registration procedure, a registration release procedure, a UE configuration update procedure, and an authentication and/or authorization procedure) (para. 0096).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 13, 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
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 QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI whose telephone number is (571)272-3014. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30am to 4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571 272 3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/QUTBUDDIN GHULAMALI/
Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2632.
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