Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/023,237

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

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Feb 24, 2023
Priority
Oct 13, 2020 — nonprovisional of PCTCN2020120603
Examiner
ACOLATSE, KODZOVI
Art Unit
2478
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
4 (Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
5-6
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allowance Rate
777 granted / 929 resolved
+25.6% vs TC avg
Strong +21% interview lift
Without
With
+21.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
51 currently pending
Career history
985
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.5%
-39.5% vs TC avg
§103
85.1%
+45.1% vs TC avg
§102
12.1%
-27.9% vs TC avg
§112
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 929 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . 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 amendment filed 05/40/2026 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 Shih et al (US 2022/0086899 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. 28; [0501], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT). Kim discloses receiving RRC Release message in Msg4 for scheduling subsequent transmission (Kim: Fig. 18: [0502]), however Kim does not explicitly disclose wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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. Shih teaches wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state (Shih: Fig. 19; [0361]-[0363], [0404]-[0405] UE receiving PDDCH configuration in RRC release message that comprises suspendConfig to keep the UE in RRC inactive state), 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 (Shih: [0361]-[0363], the PDCCH comprising configuration for the UE to monitors for PDDCH for subsequent transmission) 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 (Shih: [0363], [0368] PDCCH-related configuration dedicated to the UE and comprising configuration for subsequent transmission; see also [0298], [0340]). 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 wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 as disclosed by Shih to provide a system for small data transmission (Shih: 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. 28; [0501], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT). Kim discloses receiving RRC Release message in Msg4 for scheduling subsequent transmission (Kim: Fig. 18: [0502]), however Kim does not explicitly disclose wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments. Shih teaches wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state (Shih: Fig. 19; [0361]-[0363], [0404]-[0405] UE receiving PDDCH configuration in RRC release message that comprises suspendConfig to keep the UE in RRC inactive state), 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 (Shih: [0361]-[0363], the PDCCH comprising configuration for the UE to monitors for PDDCH for subsequent transmission) 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments. (Shih: [0363], [0368] PDCCH-related configuration dedicated to the UE and comprising configuration for subsequent transmission; see also [0298], [0340]). 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 wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments as disclosed by Shih to provide a system for small data transmission (Shih: 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 UE to the network entity during a radio resource control (RRC) inactive state (Kim: Fig. 28; [0501], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT). Kim discloses receiving RRC Release message in Msg4 for scheduling subsequent transmission (Kim: Fig. 18: [0502]), however Kim does not explicitly disclose wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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. Shih teaches wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state (Shih: Fig. 19; [0361]-[0363], [0404]-[0405] UE receiving PDDCH configuration in RRC release message that comprises suspendConfig to keep the UE in RRC inactive state), 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 (Shih: [0361]-[0363], the PDCCH comprising configuration for the UE to monitors for PDDCH for subsequent transmission) 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 (Shih: [0363], [0368] PDCCH-related configuration dedicated to the UE and comprising configuration for subsequent transmission; see also [0298], [0340]). 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 wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 as disclosed by Shih to provide a system for small data transmission (Shih: 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. 28; [0501], wireless device UE performing RACH for SDT). Kim discloses receiving RRC Release message in Msg4 for scheduling subsequent transmission (Kim: Fig. 18: [0502]), however Kim does not explicitly disclose wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments. Shih teaches wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state (Shih: Fig. 19; [0361]-[0363], [0404]-[0405] UE receiving PDDCH configuration in RRC release message that comprises suspendConfig to keep the UE in RRC inactive state), 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 (Shih: [0361]-[0363], the PDCCH comprising configuration for the UE to monitors for PDDCH for subsequent transmission) 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments. (Shih: [0363], [0368] PDCCH-related configuration dedicated to the UE and comprising configuration for subsequent transmission; see also [0298], [0340]). 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 wherein the RACH procedure comprises receiving a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) configuration from the network entity, in a RRC release message including a suspend configuration indicator for maintaining the UE in the RRC inactive state, 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 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 form scheduling a second portion of the plurality of data segments as disclosed by Shih to provide a system for small data transmission (Shih: Abstract). Regarding claims 2, 16, 32 and 41, Kim in view of shih teaches wherein the identified search space comprises a UE-specific search space, or a common search space (Kim: Fig. 28, [0206]). Regarding claims 3, 17, 33 and 42, Kim in view of shih 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 in view of shih 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. 28, [0188], [0206]). Regarding claims 6, 20, 35 and 45, Kim in view of shih 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. 28; [0497], [0501] receiving DCI/grant [0501]-[0504] subsequent data). Regarding claims 7, 21, 36, 44 and 45, Kim in view of shih 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. 28; [0497], [0501] receiving DCI/grant [0501]-[0504] subsequent data). Regarding claims 9 and 37, Kim in view of shih 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 in view of shih 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 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. 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

Show 1 earlier event
May 06, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Aug 06, 2025
Response Filed
Oct 20, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Dec 18, 2025
Request for Continued Examination
Jan 07, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 20, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 20, 2026
Response Filed
May 15, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+21.4%)
2y 6m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 929 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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