DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
2. This office action is in response to the amendment filed on 06/13/2026. Claims 1-18 are pending in this application and have been considered below.
3. Applicant arguments regarding the rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KUMAR et al. (US 20230370929) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner thoroughly reviewed Applicant’s arguments but firmly believes that the cited reference reasonably and properly meets the claimed limitation as rejected.
Applicant’s argument: Amended claim 1 specifically requires that different NO-CELL-AVAILABLE states are entered depending on whether the UE is in a deregistered state or a registered state while the UE is in discontinuous coverage. In other words, claim 1 requires distinct state transitions based on the registration status of the UE under discontinuous coverage conditions. KUMAR fails to disclose or describe such state-specific conditions and corresponding state transitions. Furthermore, the cited portions of KUMAR merely describe deactivation of the access stratum and related mobility management operations, but do not disclose entering:
(1) an xMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state when the UE is in a deregistered state; or
(2) an xMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state when the UE is in a registered state, while the UE is in discontinuous coverage. Thus, the amended limitations are neither expressly nor inherently disclosed by KUMAR.
Examiner’s response: The respectfully disagrees with applicant’s argument above. In paragraph 0086, KUMAR teaches:
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In the above paragraph 0086, KUMAR teaches when the UE 100 enter the NO service or limited (interpreted to be specific state) when may enters either (1) 5GMM sublayer states in 5GS e.g., 5GMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE, or (2) EMM sublayer states e.g., EMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE in EPS. Also see figures 2-9, par 0087-0132.
Thus, KUMAR does teach “wherein the specific state is either an xMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state entered by the user equipment (UE), when or an xMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state entered by the user equipment (UE), when the user equipment (UE) is in the discontinuous coverage and the user equipment (UE) is in [[the]]a registered state” as recited in the amended claims 1 and 10.
4. 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.
Please note: Examiner has cited particular columns, line numbers, and figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teaching of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well.
Applicants are reminded that MPEP 2141.02 states:
A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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.
6. Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KUMAR et al. (US 20230370929) (hereinafter KUMAR).
Regarding claims 1 and 10:
As shown in figures 1-13, KUMAR discloses a user equipment (UE), comprising:
a transceiver (120 in figure 10), configured to wirelessly communicate with a network (abstract, par 0003); and
a processor (110 in figure 10), coupled to the transceiver (120 in figure 10) and configured to perform operations (par 0158) comprising:
determining whether an access stratum (AS) is deactivated due to a discontinuous coverage (step 1, figures 5, 7, and 12, par 0151, 0175-0176) or during the discontinuous coverage in a mobility management; and
entering a specific state (no service or limited interpreted to be a specific state. Par 0086), when the access stratum (AS) is deactivated due to the discontinuous coverage (par 0030, 0086-0132) or during the discontinuous coverage in the mobility management; wherein the specific state is either
an xMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state entered by the user equipment (UE), when the user equipment (UE) is in the discontinuous coverage and the user equipment (UE) is in deregistered state (figures 2-9, par 0089-0132); or
an xMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state entered by the user equipment (UE), when the user equipment (UE) is in the discontinuous coverage and the user equipment (UE) is in the registered state (figures 2-9, par 0086-0132).
Regarding claims 2 and 11:
KUMAR further discloses wherein the mobility management is EPS mobility management (EMM), the xMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state is an EMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state, and the xMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state is an EMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state (par 0086-0132).
Regarding claims 3 and 12:
KUMAR further discloses wherein the mobility management is 5G mobility management (5GMM), the xMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state is a 5GMM-DEREGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state, and the xMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state is a 5GMM-REGISTERED.NO-CELL-AVAILABLE state (par 0086-0132).
Regarding claims 4 and 13:
KUMAR further discloses entering the specific state, when an unavailability period is activated due to discontinuous coverage (par 0086, 0150-0151, 0166, 0182).
Regarding claims 5 and 14:
KUMAR further discloses entering the specific state, when the user equipment (UE) activates an unavailability period (par 0086, 0150-0151, 0166, 0182).
Regarding claims 6 and 15:
KUMAR further discloses entering the specific state, when the access stratum (AS) is deactivated for a 3GPP access (par 0059, 0086-0132).
Regarding claims 7 and 16:
KUMAR further discloses wherein the user equipment (UE) initiates a mobility management procedure for cell and PLMN reselection (abstract, 0008, 0037, 0045).
Regarding claims 8 and 17:
KUMAR further discloses wherein the user equipment (UE) activates the access stratum (AS) by initiating a mobility management attach procedure (par 0035-0036, 0059, 0066-00-67).
Regarding claims 9 and 18:
KUMAR further discloses wherein the user equipment (UE) activates the access stratum (AS) by initiating a mobility management tracking update procedure (par 0035, 0131).
Conclusion
7. 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.
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KABIR A TIMORY whose telephone number is (571)270-1674. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00 AM-3:00 PM.
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, Hannah S Wang can be reached at 571-272-9018. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KABIR A TIMORY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2631
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