Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/023,237

TRANSFERRING DATA SEGMENTS AFTER PERFORMING A RANDOM ACCESS CHANNEL (RACH) PROCEDURE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Feb 24, 2023
Examiner
ACOLATSE, KODZOVI
Art Unit
2478
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 8m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
761 granted / 913 resolved
+25.4% vs TC avg
Strong +22% interview lift
Without
With
+22.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
63 currently pending
Career history
976
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.0%
-35.0% vs TC avg
§103
52.7%
+12.7% vs TC avg
§102
25.0%
-15.0% vs TC avg
§112
8.5%
-31.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 913 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114 A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/20/2012 has been entered. 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 . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 13 and 39 are 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. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to the request for continued examination filed 12/18/2025 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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. Claims 1-4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 14, 15-18, 20, 21, 29, 32-8 and 40-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al (US 2022/0232659 A1) in view of Huang et al (US 2022/0086946 A1). Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a method of wireless communication by a user equipment (UE), comprising: performing a random access channel (RACH) procedure with a network entity for transferring a first portion of a plurality of data segments from the UE to the network entity during a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT), wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space; and monitoring a PDCCH for PDCCH candidates addressed by a UE-specific network identifier in the identified search space for dynamic scheduling information that schedules a second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26; [0497], UE monitors PDCCH; PDCCH is monitored based on search space, see [0192], [0204]-[0206]). Kim does not explicitly disclose the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state. Huang teaches the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state (Huang: [0244], UE monitors PDCCH with CS-RNTI for SDT transmission). It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state as disclosed by Huang to provide a system for small data transmission (Huang: Abstract). Regarding claim 15, Kim teaches a method of wireless communication by a base station, comprising: performing a random access channel (RACH) procedure with a user equipment (UE) in an radio resource control (RRC) inactive state for receiving a first portion of a plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT), wherein the RACH procedure comprises transmitting a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration to the UE, the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space; and transmitting, on a PDCCH, dynamic scheduling information in one or more PDCCH candidates addressed by a UE-specific network identifier in the identified search space for scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26; [0497], UE monitors PDCCH; PDCCH is monitored based on search space, see [0192], [0204]-[0206]). Kim does not explicitly disclose the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state. Huang teaches the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state (Huang: [0244], UE monitors PDCCH with CS-RNTI for SDT transmission). It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state as disclosed by Huang to provide a system for small data transmission (Huang: Abstract). Regarding claim 29, Kim teaches an apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors coupled with the transceiver and the memory, the memory including instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to; perform a random access channel (RACH) procedure with a network entity for transferring a first portion of a plurality of data segments from the apparatus to the network entity during a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT), wherein the RACH procedure comprises to receive a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space; and monitor a PDCCH for PDCCH candidates addressed by a UE-specific network identifier in the identified search space for dynamic scheduling information that schedules a second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26; [0497], UE monitors PDCCH; PDCCH is monitored based on search space, see [0192], [0204]-[0206]). Kim does not explicitly disclose the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state. Huang teaches the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state (Huang: [0244], UE monitors PDCCH with CS-RNTI for SDT transmission). It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state as disclosed by Huang to provide a system for small data transmission (Huang: Abstract). Regarding claim 40, Kim teaches an apparatus for wireless communication, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and one or more processors coupled with the transceiver and the memory, the memory including instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to: perform a random access channel (RACH) procedure with a user equipment (UE) in an radio resource control (RRC) inactive state for receiving a first portion of a plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT), wherein the RACH procedure comprises to transmit a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration to the UE, the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space; and transmit, on a PDCCH, dynamic scheduling information in one or more PDCCH candidates addressed by a UE-specific network identifier in the identified search space for scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26; [0497], UE monitors PDCCH; PDCCH is monitored based on search space, see [0192], [0204]-[0206]). Kim does not explicitly disclose the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state. Huang teaches the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state (Huang: [0244], UE monitors PDCCH with CS-RNTI for SDT transmission). It would have been obvious to a person having an ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Kim the PDCCH configuration including an identified search space corresponding to a configuration of a common search space for one or more small data transmissions for the plurality of data segments that enables monitoring during the RRC inactive state as disclosed by Huang to provide a system for small data transmission (Huang: Abstract). Regarding claims 2, 16, 32 and 41, Kim teaches wherein the identified search space comprises a UE-specific search space, or a common search space (Kim: Fig. 26, [0206]). Regarding claims 3, 17, 33 and 42, Kim teaches wherein performing the RACH procedure with the network entity for transferring the first portion of [[a]] the plurality of data segments further comprises transmitting a small data request message including a buffer status report indicating a buffer value corresponding to the second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 28; [0501]). Regarding claims 4, 18, 34 and 43, Kim teaches wherein receiving the PDCCH configuration further comprises receiving the PDCCH configuration including the identified search space in an RRC message, and wherein the UE-specific network identifier comprises a cell-radio network temporary identifier (C-RNTI) (Kim: Fig. 26, [0206]). Regarding claims 6, 20, 35 and 45, Kim teaches wherein monitoring the PDCCH for the dynamic scheduling information that schedules the second portion of the plurality of data segments includes monitoring for scheduling data packets that schedule resources in at least one of an uplink channel or a downlink channel (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], receiving DCI/grant [0501]-[0504] subsequent data). Regarding claims 7, 21, 36, 44 and 45, Kim teaches receiving a downlink response message from the network entity, the downlink response message including the dynamic scheduling information for an uplink transmission, using the UE-specific network identifier, for sending the second portion of the plurality of data segments (Kim: Fig. 26 and 28; [0497], receiving DCI/grant [0501]-[0504] subsequent data). Regarding claims 9 and 37, Kim teaches transmitting, the RRC inactive state, the second portion of the plurality of data segments to the network entity based on the dynamic scheduling information (Kim: Fig. 28; [0501]). Regarding claims 10 and 38, Kim teaches wherein a transmit buffer is empty based on transmitting the second portion of the plurality of data segments to the network entity, and further comprising: generating, by an application layer of the UE, an additional data segment for transmission to the network entity subsequent to transmitting the second portion of the plurality of data segments; performing a second RACH procedure including the additional data segment in response to generating the additional data segment for transmission to the network entity subsequent to transmitting the second portion of the plurality of data segments; and monitoring the PDCCH in the identified search space for the dynamic scheduling information after the second RACH procedure for the additional data segment for transmission in at least one of an uplink channel or a downlink channel using the UE-specific network identifier (Kim: Figs. 26, 30 and 33; [0497], Kim disclose in Fig. 26, monitoring DCI for subsequent transmission; Figs 3 and 33 show the different subsequent transmission options). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KODZOVI ACOLATSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1999. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 10 am to 6pm. 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, Avellino Joseph can be reached at (571) 272-3905. 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. /KODZOVI ACOLATSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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Prosecution Timeline

Feb 24, 2023
Application Filed
May 02, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Aug 06, 2025
Response Filed
Oct 15, 2025
Final Rejection — §103
Dec 18, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Jan 07, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 15, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (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

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+22.3%)
2y 8m
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 913 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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