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
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/26/24 and 12/30/25. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 8 - 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Edge et al (US Publication 2023/0362704) disclosed in 63/338,884.
Regarding claim 8, Youn teaches an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) comprising:
transmission and reception circuitry; a controller; and storage circuitry, (i.e. fig. 11 shows a network entity, which may correspond to an AMF comprising a processor, memory and transceiver for executing programmed instructions; see paragraphs 250) wherein in a case that the transmission and reception circuitry receives, from a User Equipment (UE), a first registration request message including a) an unavailability period duration and b) UE capability information indicating that the UE supports a function of an unavailability period, the controller is configured to store the unavailability period duration in the storage circuitry, the unavailability period duration is a duration during which the UE is unable to communicate, (i.e. fig. 14 shows an AMF may receive a registration request message from a user equipment (UE), the request may comprise UE capability information and an indication of an unavailability period, the period indication a duration where the UE is unavailable for communications; see paragraphs 253, 254, 554 - 559) and in a case that the transmission and reception circuitry receives, from the UE, a second registration request message not including an unavailability period duration, the controller is configured to delete the unavailability period duration stored in the storage circuitry. (i.e. fig. 14 shows a UE may transmit a second registration request not including an indication of an unavailability period, which the network is notified that the UE is now available for communications; see paragraphs 531, 532)
Regarding claim 9, Youn teaches the AMF according to claim 8, wherein
in a case that the controller deletes the unavailability period duration stored in the storage circuitry, the transmission and reception circuitry is configured to transmit, to the UE, a registration accept message including a T3512 value for which the unavailability period duration is not taken into account. (i.e. this is a generic embodiment of 5g network operation as in the case when the UE is currently available. A T3512 timer is a periodic registration timer in 5G that tells a device (UE) when to check in with the network while in idle state. The AMF (Access and Mobility Management Function) sends the timer value to the device normally using a Registration Accept message.)
Regarding claim 10, Youn teaches a User Equipment (UE) comprising:
transmission and reception circuitry, (i.e. fig. 10 shows a user equipment comprising a processor, memory and transceiver for executing programmed instructions; see paragraphs 249) wherein the transmission and reception circuitry is configured to transmit, to an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF), a first registration request message including a) an unavailability
period duration and b) UE capability information indicating that the UE supports a function of an unavailability period, thereby causing the AMF to store the unavailability period duration in the AMF, the unavailability period duration is a duration during which the UE is unable to communicate, , (i.e. fig. 14 shows an AMF may receive a registration request message from a user equipment (UE), the request may comprise UE capability information and an indication of an unavailability period, the period indication a duration where the UE is unavailable for communications; see paragraphs 253, 254, 554 - 559) and
the transmission and reception circuitry is further configured to transmit, to the AMF, a second registration request message not including an unavailability period duration, thereby causing the AMF to delete the unavailability period duration stored in the AMF. (i.e. fig. 14 shows a UE may transmit a second registration request not including an indication of an unavailability period, which the network is notified that the UE is now available for communications; see paragraphs 531, 532)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J LOPATA whose telephone number is (571)270-5158. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10-7 EST.
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ROBERT J. LOPATA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2471
/ROBERT J LOPATA/
September 23, 2026Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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