Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/113,480

Multi-Cell Downlink Control Information Validation

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Feb 23, 2023
Examiner
HAN, CLEMENCE S
Art Unit
2414
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Ofinno LLC
OA Round
2 (Final)
91%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 7m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 91% — above average
91%
Career Allow Rate
1004 granted / 1107 resolved
+32.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +5% lift
Without
With
+5.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
1141
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.3%
-34.7% vs TC avg
§103
34.2%
-5.8% vs TC avg
§102
29.2%
-10.8% vs TC avg
§112
19.3%
-20.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1107 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 . 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 (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 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, 6-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda et al. (US Pub. 2021/0321440, hereinafter Takeda440) in view of Takeda et al. (US Pub. 2023/0199782, hereinafter Takeda782). Regarding claims 1, 9 and 17, Takeda440 teaches a wireless device comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to: receive downlink control information (DCI) (see step 915 in Figure 9, see also “In a multi-carrier scheduling scheme, the scheduling cell can use a single DCI to schedule data for data transmissions on multiple cells” in [0068] and “DCI for CC1+CC2 332” in Figure 3D) comprising: a first field indicating a plurality of cells (see “Field 1 for CC1+CC2” in Figure 3D); and a second field for a second cell of the plurality of cells (see “Field 3 for CC2” in Figure 3D), wherein the DCI indicates (“DCI format 330 for multi-carrier scheduling” in [0072]): scheduling for a first cell (“CC1” in Figure 3D), of the plurality of cells, based on the first field (see “Field 1 for CC1+CC2” in Figure 3D); and scheduling for the second cell (“CC2” in Figure 3D) based on: the first field (see “Field 1 for CC1+CC2” in Figure 3D); and the second field (see “Field 3 for CC2” in Figure 3D). Takeda440, however, does not teach a plurality of cells configured with periodic resources and DCI for activation or release of the periodic resources. Takeda782 teaches a plurality of cells configured with periodic resources (“configuration of semi-persistent resources for the UE using a plurality of CCs. The semi-persistent resources may be SPS and/or CG resources” in [0136]) and DCI for activation or release of the periodic resources (“a DCI message to indicate the activation/release of semi-persistent resources (e.g., semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) resources and/or configured grant (CG) resources)” in [0079]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Takeda440 to have a plurality of cells configured with periodic resources and DCI for activation or release of the periodic resources as taught by Takeda782 in order to use DCI with SPS resources and/or CG resources [0079]. Regarding claims 2, 10 and 18, Takeda782 teaches the instructions further cause the wireless device to receive configuration parameters for the periodic resources of cells comprising the first cell and the second cell (step 615 in Figure 6). Regarding claims 3, 11 and 19, Takeda782 teaches the first field is a redundancy version field for the first cell (see RV (CC1) 330 in Figure 3). Regarding claims 4, 12 and 20, Takeda782 teaches the second field is a redundancy version field for the second cell (see RV (CC2) 345 in Figure 3). Regarding claims 6 and 14, Takeda782 teaches the DCI indicates activation of the periodic resources for both the first cell and the second cell (“For multiple SPS/CG resources, the HARQ field may be used to indicate the SPS index or CG index and activation/release may be based on the FDRA, RV and MCS fields.” in [0137]). Regarding claims 7 and 15, Takeda782 teaches the DCI indicates release of the periodic resources for both the first cell and the second cell (“For multiple SPS/CG resources, the HARQ field may be used to indicate the SPS index or CG index and activation/release may be based on the FDRA, RV and MCS fields.” in [0137]). Regarding claims 8 and 16, Takeda782 teaches the DCI indicates activation of the periodic resources for the first cell and release of the periodic resources for the second cell or the DCI indicates release of the periodic resources for the first cell and activation of the periodic resources for the second cell (“For multiple SPS/CG resources, the HARQ field may be used to indicate the SPS index or CG index and activation/release may be based on the FDRA, RV and MCS fields.” in [0137]). Claims 5 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takeda440 in view of Takeda782 and further in view of Lin et al. (US Pub. 2021/0160879). Regarding claims 5 and 13, Takeda440 in view of Takeda782 teaches the limitations in claims 1 and 9 as shown above. Takeda440 in view of Takeda782, however, does not teach the instructions further cause the wireless device to: activating a periodic resource configuration indicating the periodic resources; and transmit, via resource of the periodic resource and in response to activating the periodic resource configuration, a transport block. Lin teaches the instructions further cause the wireless device to: activating a periodic resource configuration indicating the periodic resources (see “activation command for … UL CG configuration” in step 1120 in Figure 11); and transmit, via resource of the periodic resource and in response to activating the periodic resource configuration (see “determines … CG PUSCH resources and parameters per … UL CG configuration and activation command” in step 1130 in Figure 11 and “transmit CG PUSCH in determined resources and per determined parameters” in step 1140 in Figure 11), a transport block (“UL CG PUSCH transport block” in [0113]). It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Takeda440 in view of Takeda782 to have the instructions further cause the wireless device to: activating a periodic resource configuration indicating the periodic resources; and transmit, via resource of the periodic resource and in response to activating the periodic resource configuration, a transport block as taught by Lin in order to use modified UL CG configuration [0242]. Conclusion Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 CLEMENCE S HAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3158. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM EST. 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, Edan Orgad can be reached at (571)272-7884. 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. /CLEMENCE S HAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 23, 2023
Application Filed
Jul 12, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Nov 14, 2025
Response Filed
Feb 20, 2026
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

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
91%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+5.3%)
2y 7m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1107 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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