Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/261,322

METHODS FOR DEVICES THAT DO NOT SUPPORT NTNS TO AVOID CELL SELECTION/(RE)SELECTION TO A CELL IN NTN

Final Rejection §102
Filed
Jul 13, 2023
Examiner
MIZRAHI, DIANE D
Art Unit
2647
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
OA Round
2 (Final)
92%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
98%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 92% — above average
92%
Career Allow Rate
1241 granted / 1346 resolved
+30.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +5% lift
Without
With
+5.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
33 currently pending
Career history
1379
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
20.4%
-19.6% vs TC avg
§103
11.6%
-28.4% vs TC avg
§102
33.2%
-6.8% vs TC avg
§112
20.1%
-19.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1346 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Examiner’s Remarks Claims 1-7, 9-14 and 19-29 are presented for examination. Claims 19-29 are withdrawn from examination. This final action is in response to the amendment of January 27, 2026. Examiner withdraws the objection to the claims and the rejection under 35 USC 102. This action is made final at this time. This application contains claims that are drawn to an invention nonelected without traverse in the reply filed on January 27, 2026. A complete reply to the final rejection must include cancellation of nonelected claims or other appropriate action (37 CFR 1.144) See MPEP § 821.01. Applicant is reminded that upon the cancellation of claims to a non-elected invention, the inventorship must be amended in compliance with 37 CFR 1.48(b) if one or more of the currently named inventors is no longer an inventor of at least one claim remaining in the application. Any amendment of inventorship must be accompanied by a request under 37 CFR 1.48(b) and by the fee required under 37 CFR 1.17(i). Applicant is reminded that upon the cancellation of claims to a non-elected withdrawn claim 19-29. The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-7 and 9-14 are allowed over the prior art made of record. In regards to Independent Claims 1 and 12, BRI (broadest reasonable interpretation) in light of the specification, Examiner finds the claimed invention is patentably distinct from the prior art of record, which sets forth in the following: Joen et al. (US Patent No. 11523441 B2 and Joen hereinafter), the closes prior made of record, relates to wireless device receives a downlink grant for a random-access response, a failure to receive the random-access response. Based on the failure and a time alignment timer of the cell, the wireless device determines an uplink signal, for transmission via the cell, as one of a second preamble and a negative acknowledgement. However, Joen fails to show “receiving, from a network node, information configured to cause wireless devices that do not support NTN communication to avoid cell selection or re-selection to a candidate cell in an NTN, wherein the information comprises a subcarrier offset associated with a cell- defining synchronization block (CD-SSB) for the NTN communication, wherein a value of the subcarrier offset is used when received by wireless devices that support the NTN communication and wherein a value of the subcarrier offset is ignored when received by the wireless device not supporting the NTN; and in response to receiving the information by the wireless device not supporting the NTN, ignoring the value of the subcarrier offset and avoiding cell selection or re-selection to the candidate cell in the NTN” as noted in the specification Para [0052]; [0056-0058]; [0062]-[0066]; [0084], for example. 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. Communication Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIANE D MIZRAHI whose telephone number is 571- 272-4079. The examiner can normally be reached on 7:30-3:30 PM (7:30 - 4:30 p.m.). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison T. Slater can be reached on (571) 270-0375. The fax phone numbers for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned are (703) 872-9306 for regular communications and for After Final communication. Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (571) 272-2600. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.qov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll free). /DIANE D MIZRAHI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647 Diane.Mizrahi@USPTO.gov
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jul 13, 2023
Application Filed
Oct 24, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Jan 27, 2026
Response Filed
Mar 05, 2026
Final Rejection — §102 (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
92%
Grant Probability
98%
With Interview (+5.3%)
2y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 1346 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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