Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 16, 2026
Application No. 18/826,648

DUAL ACCESS/STEER CAPABILITY INFORMATION FOR NETWORK AND DEVICES DUAL ACCESS/STEER SERVICE

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Sep 06, 2024
Priority
Sep 11, 2023 — provisional 63/581,689
Examiner
MIZRAHI, DIANE D
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Media Tek Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
92%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1m
Est. Remaining
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 92% — above average
92%
Career Allowance Rate
1262 granted / 1368 resolved
+32.3% vs TC avg
Moderate +5% lift
Without
With
+5.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
1398
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
23.0%
-17.0% vs TC avg
§103
12.8%
-27.2% vs TC avg
§102
32.0%
-8.0% vs TC avg
§112
20.9%
-19.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1368 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Information Disclosure Statement As required by M.P.E.P. 609(c), the Applicant's submissions of the Information Disclosure Statement is acknowledged by the examiner and the cited references have been considered in the examination of the claims now pending. As required by M.P.E.P. 609 C(2), a copy of the PTOL-1449 initialed and dated by the examiner is attached to the instant office action. Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement has been received, entered into the record, and considered. See attached form PTO-1449. Claims 1-15 are presented for examination. 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)(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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nassar et al., (US Patent Publication No. 2024 02005863 A1 and Nassar hereinafter). Regarding Claims 1 8, and 15, Nassar teaches a method of wireless communication of a mobile device, comprising: providing device capability information indicating (i.e., the 5G system supports evolved packet system network interworking for the registration of the user equipment with the 5G system comprises determining one or more of: subscription information, deployment information, 5G system capabilities, or information regarding a radio access technology of an access path between the user equipment and the 5G system) Para [0022] and (i.e., 5G system capabilities) Para [0025] that the mobile device supports a dual access service (i.e., a second access and mobility management function of a second 5G system, a second registration request for a second registration with the second 5G system; and either receiving, at the user equipment, from the first access and mobility management function, an indication that evolved packet system network interworking is allowed for the first registration; or receiving, at the user equipment, from the second access and mobility management function, an indication that evolved packet system network interworking is allowed for the second registration) Para [0012]; transmitting a registration request message for registering to a first network access (i.e., generating, at a user equipment, a registration request for a registration with a fifth-generation (5G) system; adding, to the registration request, an indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is requested for the registration; and providing, to an access and mobility management function of the 5G system, the registration request comprising the indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is requested for the registration. In some embodiments, the method can further comprise: receiving, from the access and mobility management function, a response to the registration request, the response comprising a further indication regarding whether evolved packet system network interworking is allowed for the registration requested in the registration request.) Para [0005] and (i.e., authorizes the registration request sent by the UE and includes, in the registration accept message, an indication that the serving mobile network supports multiple UE registrations per home credential USIM per access type and confirms that the UE is registered with the mobile network by including a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) and the registration ID in the registration accept message) Para [0069] of a first public land mobile network (PLMN) (i.e., a mobile network (e.g., a public land mobile PLMN or as standalone non-public network (SNPN)) that comprises a 5th generation wireless communication system (5GS) enables a UE to register simultaneously with a core network of the 5GS of a mobile network (e.g., PLMN or SNPN) over multiple accesses, where each access has an access type defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). An AMF in the core network of the 5GS of the mobile network may include a registration management (RM) state that reflects the registration status of the UE in the mobile network. The RM state of the UE in the mobile network (e.g., PLMN or SNPN) can be a RM-DEREGISTERED state (when the UE is registered with the mobile network) or a RM-REGISTERED state when the UE is not registered with the mobile network) Para [0058], and (i.e., UE is multiply registered with PLMN(s), such as a home network including both a 5GS and an EPS, the UE will want to keep a single seat in HSS/UDM for the EPS 3GPP access, and will need to know which of the multiple registrations is eligible for EPS interworking) [0060] wherein the registration request message includes the device capability information (i.e., AMF selection procedure to select an AMF and provide the registration request to the selected AMF. the selected AMF can then initiate an Identity request procedure by sending an identity request message to the UE requesting the SUCI of the UE. The UE responds to the Identity request message by provides an identity response message to the AMF) Para [0064]; receiving a registration response message Para [0073]; determining whether the registration response message includes network capability information indicating that the first network access supports the dual access service (i.e., authorizes the registration request sent by the UE and includes, in the registration accept message, an indication that the serving mobile network supports multiple UE registrations per home credential USIM per access type and confirms that the UE is registered with the mobile network by including a globally unique temporary identifier (GUTI) and the registration ID in the registration accept message) Para [0069]; and in response to determining that the first network access supports the dual access (i.e., dual registered with two different mobile networks) Para [0073] service (i.e., 5GS of a mobile network may be configured to allow dual registration of a UE to the mobile network per access type (i.e., over two accesses of the same access type), e.g., in relatively lower and higher frequencies of the same or different frequency band(s) Para [0051], registering to a second network access (i.e., evolved packet system network interworking for the registration of the user equipment with the 5G system comprises determining one or more of: subscription information, deployment information, 5G system capabilities, or information regarding a radio access technology of an access path between the user equipment and the 5G system. In some embodiments, the program codes, when executed by the processor, further cause at least: providing, from the access and mobility management function, to a unified data management function of the 5G system or a home network of the user equipment) Para [0024]. Regarding Claims 2 and 9, Nassar teaches wherein the second network access is a network access of the first PLMN, or a network access of a second PLMN ‎different from the first PLMN or a Standalone Non-Public Network (SNPN) (i.e., access, core network element support for EPS IWK has not been considered prior to this disclosure. Also, with regard to the limitations of current networks, the lack of support means that a network (e.g., PLMN or SNPN) that includes a 5GS and an EPS is not capable of providing connectivity services to a UE that is dual registered with two networks via an access type) Para [0074]. Regarding Claims 3 and 10, Nassar teaches wherein the device capability information includes dual access device assist information of the mobile device or a peer identity (i.e., dual registered with two different mobile networks) Para [0073] and (i.e., dual-registering with a first mobile network (referred to as PLMN-1) and a second mobile network (referred to as PLMN-2 or SNPN-2). In the illustrated scenario of FIG. 2, the second mobile network is the home network (HPLMN) of the UE. In some embodiments, the first mobile network (PLMN-1) may be an equivalent PLMN (EPLMN) with respect to the HPLMN (second network). In some embodiments, the registration (e.g., registration identifier) with the first mobile network may therefore be allowed/authorized for EPS IWK, which may mean that EPS IWK is allowed for the UE's registration with the first mobile network UE.) Para [0089]. Regarding Claims 4 and 11, Nassar teaches wherein the peer identity is: a fifth generation (5G) Globally Unique Temporary Identity (5G-GUTI), a Subscription Permanent Identifier (SUPI), or a Subscriber Concealed Identifier (SUCI) (i.e., multiple registrations over multiple accesses of the same access type with a single network (e.g., a PLMN) or with two different but equivalent networks (e.g., two PLMNs, a PLMN and a SNPN, or a SNPN and a SNPN), current core network elements of the mobile network (or mobile networks) do not provide support for indicating which of multiple registrations is to be maintained for EPS IWK upon an intersystem change from a 5G or NR network to a legacy EPS network ) Para [0075]. Regarding Claims 5 and 12, Nassar teaches wherein the peer identity is from a peer subscriber identity module (SIM) (i.e., a UE is capable of registering, using one home network credential, such as, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM)Para [0061]. Regarding Claims 6 and 13, Nassar teaches wherein the network capability information includes network assist information or a peer identity (i.e., network handover for a UE already registered with a unified data management (UDM) function of the mobile network. In order to more efficiently and quickly carry out inter-system change or network handover from the 5G core networks) Para [0053]. Regarding Claims 7 and 14, Nassar teaches wherein the registering to the second network access comprises: ‎selecting the second network access based on the network capability information (i.e., A mobile network (e.g., a public land mobile PLMN or as standalone non-public network (SNPN)) that comprises a 5th generation wireless communication system (5GS) enables a UE to register simultaneously with a core network of the 5GS of a mobile network (e.g., PLMN or SNPN) over multiple accesses, where each access has an access type defined in the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP). An AMF in the core network of the 5GS) Para [0058]. Pertinent Prior Art The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nassar et al., (US Patent Publication No. 20240205863 A1), “APPARATUSES, METHODS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR FIFTH-GENERATION SYSTEM MULTIPLE REGISTRATION WITH EVOLVED PACKET SYSTEM NETWORK INTERWORKING” (June 20, 2024) discloses enabling splitting, switching, and steering of access traffic in a system, e.g., a fifth-generation (5G) system. Access and mobility management functions (AMF) of the 5G system forward the registration requests to unified data management (UDM) functions of the PLMNs. UDM function determines whether evolved packet system (EPS) interworking (IWK) is allowed for respective registration requests based on subscription, deployment, system capabilities, a radio access technology (RAT) of an access path between the UE and the 5G system, etc. UE can include an indication that EPS IWK is requested and required in a registration request. Paladugu et al., (US Patent No. 12641672 B2), “System Information Acquisition In Service-based Systems”, (May 26, 2026) discloses wireless communication includes receiving, by a user equipment (UE), access system information (SI) from a network device; transmitting, by the UE, a service SI request based on the received access SI, the service SI request indicating a request for particular service SI data; and receiving, by the UE, the particular service SI data, the particular service SI data including SI blocks (SIBs), scheduling information for SIBs, or both. Communication Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE D MIZRAHI whose telephone number is 571- 272-4079. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30-3:30 PM (7:30 - 4:30 p.m.). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison T. Slater can be reached on (571) 270-0375. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are (703) 872-9306 for regular communications and for After Final communication. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (571) 272-2600. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.qov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll free). /DIANE D MIZRAHI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647 Diane.Mizrahi@USPTO.gov
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Prosecution Timeline

Sep 06, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 04, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
92%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+5.3%)
2y 1m (~1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1368 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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