Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 17/596,157

TERMINAL

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Dec 03, 2021
Examiner
ALAWDI, SHEHAB A
Art Unit
2466
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
NTT Docomo Inc.
OA Round
5 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
5-6
OA Rounds
3y 8m
To Grant
67%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allow Rate
21 granted / 25 resolved
+26.0% vs TC avg
Minimal -17% lift
Without
With
+-17.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 8m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
63
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.4%
-37.6% vs TC avg
§103
60.5%
+20.5% vs TC avg
§102
35.8%
-4.2% vs TC avg
§112
1.2%
-38.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 25 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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 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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. Claim [7 and 9-11] is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Li (US 20220240110 A1)] in view of Peng (US 11991651 B2). Regarding claim 7 and 10-11 Li teaches; a transmitter that transmits, to a base station, information indicating terminal capability related to high-speed mobility [0244] Fields of Structure #4 are described in more detail below in Table 3: TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 3 UE-EUTRA-Capability field descriptions measurementEnhancements This field defines whether UE supports measurement enhancements in high speed scenario as specified in TS 36.133 [16] a receiver that receives, from the base station, setting information related to the high-speed mobility; [0005] These and other implementations can include one or more of the following features. In a communication system including user equipment (UE) and a radio access network (RAN) including a plurality of cells, a process includes receiving, by the UE, a radio resource control (RRC) information element (IE) indicating a high speed scenario (HST). The process includes monitoring, by the UE in response to receiving the RRC IE indicating HST, a first number of frequency carriers that is reduced relative to a second number of frequency carriers monitored by the UE during a non-HST. and a processor that configures a period of cell detection and a measurement period in the high- speed mobility of the terminal in accordance with a discontinuous reception (DRX) period specified for the high-speed mobility [0105] When DRX or eDRX_CONN is in use, the UE 101 is capable of performing RSRP, RSRQ, and RS-SINR measurements of at least 4 inter-frequency cells per FDD inter-frequency and the UE 101 PHY layer is capable of reporting RSRP, RSRQ, and RS-SINR measurements to higher layers with the measurement period T.sub.measure_inter, either measurement gaps are scheduled or the UE 101 supports capability of conducting such measurements without gaps. When DRX is used, T.sub.measure_inter is as defined in Table 8.1.2.3.1.2-2 of 3GPP TS 36.133, and when eDRX_CONN is in use, T.sub.measure_inter is as defined in Table 8.1.2.3.1.2-3 for GP0 and GP1. If the UE 101 is configured with nonUniform1-nonUniform4 T.sub.identify_inter is as defined in Table 8.1.2.3.1.2-4 of 3GPP TS 36.133 when the terminal is configured with the setting information [0254] Turning to FIG. 12, process 1200 for configuring UE for measurement capability in high speed scenarios is shown. Process 1200 can be performed in a communication system comprising UE and RAN described above in relation to FIGS. 1-9. In process 1200, the UE is configured to receive (1202), a radio resource control (RRC) information element IE) indicating a high speed scenario (HST). The UE is configured to monitor (1204), in response to receiving the RRC IE indicating HST, a first number of frequency carriers that is reduced relative to a second number of frequency carriers monitored by the UE during a non-HST. Li does not teach an SS/PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period specified for the high-speed mobility; However, Peng does an SS/PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period (Col 11 Row 63-65) A cell may be associated with a SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) based on its configuration for SSB transmission specified for the high-speed mobility; (Col 11 Row 23-25) RRM measurements may be used, for example, for mobility decisions, link adaptation, scheduling, and/or other uses. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Li and Peng before him or her, to modify the method of Li and Peng to include high speed train communication as taught by Peng. The motivation for doing so would be to improved wireless communication. (Col 2 Row 9-12 by Peng). Regarding claim 9 Li teaches a base station comprising:[0049] the RAN nodes 111 may be implemented as one or more of a dedicated physical device such as a macrocell base station a receiver that receives, from a terminal, information indicating terminal capability related to high-speed mobility; [0244] Fields of Structure #4 are described in more detail below in Table 3: TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 3 UE-EUTRA-Capability field descriptions measurementEnhancements This field defines whether UE supports measurement enhancements in high speed scenario as specified in TS 36.133 and a transmitter that transmits, to the terminal, setting information related to the high-speed mobility, [0012] In some implementations, the UE is configured by a next generation (gNB) node of the RAN by the RCC Reconfiguration IE. In some implementations, the RCC IE comprises one of a highSpeedEnhancedMeasFlag or Secondary Component Carrier (SCC) measurementEnhancements for indicating HST wherein the receiver receives, from the terminal, a report of a measurement result of a measurement performed by the terminal using a period of cell detection and a measurement period in the high-speed mobility,[0065] A node (e.g., a next generation node gNB) of the NW may configure the UE 101 to perform the following types of measurements: NR measurements, LTE measurements, and inter-RAT measurements of NR/E-UTRA/UTRA frequencies. The gNB may configure the UE 101 to report the following measurement information based on SS/PBCH block(s): measurement results per SS/PBCH block; measurement results per cell based on SS/PBCH block(s); and/or SS/PBCH block(s) indexes and the period of cell detection and the measurement period are configured in accordance with a discontinuous reception (DRX) period specified for the high-speed mobility [0105] When DRX or eDRX_CONN is in use, the UE 101 is capable of performing RSRP, RSRQ, and RS-SINR measurements of at least 4 inter-frequency cells per FDD inter-frequency and the UE 101 PHY layer is capable of reporting RSRP, RSRQ, and RS-SINR measurements to higher layers with the measurement period T.sub.measure_inter, either measurement gaps are scheduled or the UE 101 supports capability of conducting such measurements without gaps when the terminal is configured with the setting information [0246] Generally, the HST indicator can include a highSpeedEnhancedMeasFlag, or SCC measurement Enhancements, or any other IE which is used to indicate UE is in high speed scenario. Once UE supports increased UE carrier monitoring E-UTRA in the high speed scenario, the number of the frequency carriers that UE need to monitor can be reduced. Li does not teach an SS/PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period specified for the high-speed mobility; However, Peng does an SS/PBCH block measurement timing configuration (SMTC) period (Col 11 Row 63-65) A cell may be associated with a SSB measurement timing configuration (SMTC) based on its configuration for SSB transmission specified for the high-speed mobility (Col 11 Row 23-25) RRM measurements may be used, for example, for mobility decisions, link adaptation, scheduling, and/or other uses. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, having the teachings of Li and Peng before him or her, to modify the method of Li and Peng to include high speed train communication as taught by Peng. The motivation for doing so would be to improved wireless communication. (Col 2 Row 9-12 by Peng). Response to Argument Applicant’s amendments filed on 12/12/2025 have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new rejection stated above. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHEHAB A ALAWDI whose telephone number is (571)270-3203. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5. 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, [Hamza, Faruk] can be reached at [(571) 272-7969]. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SHEHAB A ALAWDI/Examiner, Art Unit 2466 /JAY P PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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Prosecution Timeline

Dec 03, 2021
Application Filed
Aug 31, 2022
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 29, 2024
Non-Final Rejection — §103
May 03, 2024
Response Filed
Jul 12, 2024
Final Rejection — §103
Nov 04, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Nov 13, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Dec 02, 2024
Request for Continued Examination
Dec 11, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Dec 30, 2024
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Apr 09, 2025
Response Filed
Sep 12, 2025
Final Rejection — §103
Dec 12, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 13, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Jan 25, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Apr 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
67%
With Interview (-17.4%)
3y 8m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 25 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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