Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/318,412

AUTOMATIC GAIN CONTROL IN A FULL-DUPLEX NETWORK

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
May 16, 2023
Priority
Aug 19, 2022 — provisional 63/371,974
Examiner
SHARMA, GAUTAM
Art Unit
2467
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allowance Rate
566 granted / 644 resolved
+29.9% vs TC avg
Moderate +12% lift
Without
With
+11.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
15 currently pending
Career history
660
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.9%
-38.1% vs TC avg
§103
85.8%
+45.8% vs TC avg
§102
5.4%
-34.6% vs TC avg
§112
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 644 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 . Claims 1-30 are pending. 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. Claims 1, 3 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uesaka et al, application no. 2025/0266971, hereinafter known as Uesaka in view of Sun et al application no. 2019/0174487, hereinafter known as Sun. As to claim 1, Uesaka discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory (Uesaka, [0122], figure 6, wireless device (UE), part 22 with memory and processor), configured to: receive, from a network node associated with a full-duplex (FD) network, one or more tracking reference signals (TRSs) in a slot (Uesaka, [0055], network sending to UE tracking signals associated with FD and HD, for plural processing including for Automatic Gain Control), and calculate an automatic gain control (AGC) for the slot based at least in part on the one or more TRSs received in the slot and information regarding the slot type associated with the slot, including half duplex or full duplex (Uesaka, [0055], performing automatic gain control with both tracking and slot information). Uesaka does not disclose however Sun discloses wherein the slot is a half-duplex (HD) slot or an FD slot based at least in part on a slot type associated with the slot (Sun, [0005], [0030]-[0032], slot format indication for frequency division duplex which indicates full duplex or not). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of wherein the slot is a half-duplex (HD) slot or an FD slot based at least in part on a slot type associated with the slot as taught by Sun. Plural indication for slots are provided for UE to process the slots accordingly such as full or half duplex indication where half duplex requires less processing or energy usage. As to claim 3, Uesaka discloses wherein a slot dependent AGC is enabled based at least in part on the one or more TRSs received in the slot (Uesaka, [0054]-[0055], AGC according to where TRS is received). As to claim 20, the claim is rejected as applied to claim 1 above by Uesaka in view of Sun. Claim 7-13 and 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uesaka in view of Ren et WIPO Publication No. 2020/186440, hereinafter known as Ren. As to claim 7, Uesaka discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: a memory; and one or more processors, coupled to the memory (Uesaka, [0122], figure 6, wireless device (UE), part 22 with memory and processor), configured to: receive, from a network node associated with a full-duplex (FD) network, an indication of an automatic gain control (AGC) symbol at a boundary between a half-duplex (HD) slot or symbol and an FD slot or symbol (Uesaka, [0055], network sending to UE tracking signals associated with FD and HD, for plural processing including for Automatic Gain Control) and performing automatic gain control with both tracking and slot information); Uesaka does not expressly disclose however Ren dicloses and calculate an AGC using the AGC symbol based at least in part on a switching between the HD slot or symbol and the FD slot or symbol (Ren, [0072], communicating full duplex or non-full duplex (half duplex; [0072]-[0078], AGC calculation based on full duplex and when switching to non-full duplex that includes half duplex). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of and calculate an AGC using the AGC symbol based at least in part on a switching between the HD slot or symbol and the FD slot or symbol as taught by Ren. Full duplex and non-full duplex have different signal metrics such as signal strength requiring different associated AGC calculation. As to claim 8, Uesaka discloses wherein the AGC symbol is associated with a sequence or a reference signal, or wherein the AGC symbol is a duplicate of a first symbol in a slot (Uesaka, [0055], network sending to UE tracking reference signal for AGC calculation). As to claim 9, Uesaka discloses the apparatus of claim 7. Uesaka does not expressly disclose however Ren discloses wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a semi-static radio resource control configuration (Ren, [0081], RRC signaling for AGC indication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a semi-static radio resource control configuration as taught by Ren. Radio Resource Control signaling is well known in the art to provide control data to UE’s. As to claim 10, Uesaka discloses the apparatus of claim 7. Uesaka does not expressly disclose however Ren discloses wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a scheduling downlink control information (Ren, [0081]-0082], DCI signaling for AGC indication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a scheduling downlink control information as taught by Ren. Downlink Control Information is well known in the art to provide control data to UE’s. As to claim 11, Uesaka discloses the apparatus of claim 7. Uesaka disclose and wherein the configuration for AGC is activated or deactivated by the network node (Uesaka, [0055], activation of AGC is based on when TRS is indicated or not). Uesaka does not expressly disclose however Ren discloses wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is associated with a configuration of the AGC symbol that is received via a medium access control control element (Ren, [0081]-0082], DCI signaling for AGC indication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of wherein the indication of the AGC symbol is associated with a configuration of the AGC symbol that is received via a medium access control control element as taught by Ren. MAC-CE is well known in the art to provide control data to UE’s. As to claim 12, Uesaka dicloses wherein the indication of the AGC symbol indicates the AGC symbol as a downlink symbol for the UE (Uesaka, [0047]-[0048], Tracking reference signaling is downlink signaling used for AGC indication). As to claim 13, Uesaka wherein the AGC symbol is associated with a periodic reference signal or an aperiodic reference signal (Uesaka, [0053]-[0059], AGC calculation done according to TRS for both full duplex and half duplex that are in periodic communications). As to claims 24 and 25, the claims are rejected as applied to claim 7 and 8 above respectively by Uesaka in view of Ren. As to claim 26, Uesaka discloses the apparatus of claim 24. Uesaka discloses and wherein the configuration for AGC is activated or deactivated by the network node (Uesaka, [0055], activation of AGC is based on when TRS is indicated or not). Uesaka does not expressly disclose however Ren discloses the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a semi-static radio resource control configuration (Ren, [0081], RRC signaling for AGC indication); the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a scheduling downlink control information (Ren, [0081]-0082], DCI signaling for AGC indication); or the indication of the AGC symbol is associated with a configuration of the AGC symbol that is received via a medium access control control element (Ren, [0081]-0082], DCI signaling for AGC indication). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Uesaka to include the limitations of the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a semi-static radio resource control configuration; the indication of the AGC symbol is received via a scheduling downlink control information; or the indication of the AGC symbol is associated with a configuration of the AGC symbol that is received via a medium access control control element as taught by Ren. RRC, DCI and MAC-CE is well known in the art to provide control data to UE’s. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2, 4-6, 14-19, 21-23 and 27-30 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GAUTAM SHARMA whose telephone number is (571)270-7182. The examiner can normally be reached 11am-8pm. 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, Hassan Phillips can be reached at 571-272-3940. 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. /GAUTAM SHARMA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2467 /HASSAN A PHILLIPS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2467
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Prosecution Timeline

May 16, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
88%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+11.7%)
2y 6m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 644 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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