Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/337,520

METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MEASUREMENT IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Jun 20, 2023
Priority
Dec 24, 2020 — continuation of PCTCN2020138858
Examiner
RIVAS, RAUL
Art Unit
2471
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
93%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allowance Rate
405 granted / 484 resolved
+25.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+9.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
33 currently pending
Career history
532
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.8%
-37.2% vs TC avg
§103
65.3%
+25.3% vs TC avg
§102
21.5%
-18.5% vs TC avg
§112
3.9%
-36.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 484 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 . This action is in response to the communication filed on 02/16/2026. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) 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 of this title, 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. Claim(s) 1-6, 8-15 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (U.S. Pub. 20190028914) in view of Koskela et al. (US. Pub. 20230146882). Regarding claim 1 Wu discloses, a method for an apparatus in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving, by the apparatus from a network device, a measurement configuration for a first carrier or a first bandwidth part (BWP) para. 18, Fig. 3, “Step 302: the first BS transmits a first measurement configuration to a first UE., wherein the first measurement configuration configures a first allowed measurement bandwidth (MEAS_BW)”; measuring, by the apparatus, the first carrier or the first BWP based on the measurement configuration to obtain measurement information for the first carrier or the first BWP para. 18, Fig. 3, “wherein the first measurement report comprises at least one first measurement result which is measured by the first UE”; and transmitting, by the apparatus to the network device, a measurement report for a second carrier or a second BWP para. 23, “the first BS receives a second measurement report from the second UE”. Wu does not specifically discloses, wherein the measurement report for the second carrier or the second BWP is based on the measurement information for the first carrier or the first BWP without measuring the second carrier or the second BWP. However, Koskela teach, “The first configuration for measurement reporting may comprise a reporting set of downlink reference signals to be measured and reported, and wherein the means for determining a second configuration for measurement reporting may be further for updating the reporting set to comprise the first downlink reference signal corresponding to the first state” see para. 11. Koskela further discloses, wherein the measurement report for the second carrier or the second BWP being without measuring the second carrier or the second BWP is further based on that the first carrier or the first BWP and the second carrier or the second BWP are in a first measurement group para. 16, “wherein the second configuration for measurement reporting configures the terminal to report measurements on more than one reference signals corresponding to the received activation of the more than one states (the second reference signal on a different state than the first one)… wherein determining a second configuration for measurement reporting may comprise updating the reporting set to comprise the first downlink reference signal corresponding to the first state”; furthermore; “As an example, grouping of CORESETs may be used for beam reporting purposes. Specific sets of CORESETs may be grouped together and may be used by a UE to report the active TCI states in the same reporting configuration/beam report of the same CORESET group” see para. 150. Wu and Koskela are analogous because they pertain to the field of wireless communication and, more specifically, to measurement configuration and a reporting. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Koskela in the system of Wu so the terminal could receive in one transmission the configuration for measuring multiple number of carriers. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce signaling overhead and improve the user equipment power efficiency. Wu and Koskela are analogous because they pertain to the field of wireless communication and, more specifically, to measurement configuration and a reporting. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Koskela in the system of Wu so system condense the measurements and reporting events in a group of cells with similar characteristics. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce signaling overhead, time and the waste of the available resources. Regarding claim 2 Wu discloses, the method further comprising: receiving, by the apparatus from the network device, a measurement report configuration for the second carrier or the second BWP of the first measurement group para. 16, “the first BS transmits a second measurement configuration to a second UE, wherein the second measurement configuration configures a second allowed MEAS_BW and a location of the second allowed MEAS_BW on a second carrier”; and obtaining, by the apparatus, the measurement report for the second carrier or the second BWP based on the measurement report configuration para. 23, “the second measurement configuration configures a second ARFCN identifying the second carrier”. Regarding claim 3 Wu discloses, wherein the measurement report configuration comprises at least one of the following: a measurement event; a condition for triggering a measurement report a measurement report quantity; a measurement report type; or a time interval for measurement reporting para. 19, “the first UE according to at least one first reference signal (RS) within the first allowed MEAS_BW”. The claim list features in the alternative. While the claim lists a number of optional limitations only one limitation from the list is required and needs to be met by the prior art. The Examiner has chosen the first of the alternatives. Regarding claim 4 Wu discloses, wherein the measurement configuration comprises at least one of the following: a measurement object; a measurement quantity; measurement resources comprising at least one of time resources or frequency resources; a measurement report configuration; or a measurement gap para. 19, “the first UE according to… the first allowed MEAS_BW”. The claim list features in the alternative. While the claim lists a number of optional limitations only one limitation from the list is required and needs to be met by the prior art. The Examiner has chosen the third of the alternatives. Regarding claim 5 Wu discloses, the method further comprising: transmitting, by the apparatus to the network device, information regarding at least one measurement group including the first measurement group para. 46, “The first UE transmits a third RRC response message (e.g., a RRC Reconfiguration Complete message) on the SCG SRB to the second BS in response to the third RRC message”. Regarding claim 6 Wu discloses, wherein the information regarding the at least one measurement group is based on at least one of an artificial intelligence (AI) capability, a sensing capability or a position of the apparatus para. 32, “the first BS receives a first plurality of UE device capabilities (e.g., UE-NR-Capability or UE-EUTRA-Capability) of the first UE from the first UE… he first plurality of UE capabilities indicate (e.g., include) a first maximum reception (RX) bandwidth (RX_BW) for a first frequency band to which the first carrier belongs. The first BS may determine the first allowed MEAS_BW according to the first maximum RX_BW”. Regarding claim 8 Wu discloses, wherein the information regarding the at least one measurement group comprises an indication of at least one preferred reference carrier or at least one preferred reference BWP for the first measurement group para. 36, “In one example, the first (or second) plurality of UE capabilities further include (e.g., indicate) at least one of the first (or second) frequency band, a third frequency band, a subcarrier spacing capability, a beam forming capability and a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capability”. Regarding claim 9 Wu discloses, the method further comprising: receiving, by the apparatus from the network device, information regarding at least one measurement group including the first measurement group para. 46, “The first UE transmits a third RRC response message (e.g., a RRC Reconfiguration Complete message) on the SCG SRB to the second BS in response to the third RRC message”. Regarding claim 10 Wu teaches, at least one processor read as: “processing circuit 200”; and a computer readable storage medium read as: “random-access memory (RAM)” see para. 14, Fig. 2; furthermore, claim 10 recites a apparatus corresponding to the method of claim 1 and thus is rejected under the same reason set forth in the rejection of claim 1. Regarding claim 11 the limitations of claim 11 are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to claim 1. Regarding claims 12-15 the limitations of claims 12-15, respectively, are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to claims 2-5, respectively. Regarding claims 17-18 the limitations of claims 17-18, respectively, are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to claims 8-9, respectively. Regarding claim 19 the limitations of claim 19 are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to claim 6. Claim 20 recites an apparatus corresponding to the method of claim 11 and thus is rejected under the same reason set forth in the rejection of claim 11. Claim(s) 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (U.S. Pub. 20190028914) in view of Koskela et al. (US. Pub. 20230146882), further in view of Wu (EPO. Pub. EP3397019), hereafter “Wu19”. Regarding claim 7 Wu discloses, the method further comprising: receiving, by the apparatus from the network device, an indication of available carriers or available BWPs for the apparatus para. 55, “The first UE knows in which bandwidth the measurement can be performed according to the first measurement configuration received from the BS”, Wu and Koskela does not specifically disclose, However, Wu19 teach, wherein the information regarding the at least one measurement group is based on the available carriers or the available BWPs para. 6, “a carrier to at least one of a master cell group and a secondary cell group from at least one of at least one measurement object or at least one reporting configuration received from a network; determining measurement parameters for the carrier based on the designation or lack thereof from configurations”. Wu, Koskela and Wu19 are analogous because they pertain to the field of wireless communication and, more specifically, to measurement configuration and a reporting. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Wu19 in the system of Wu and Koskela so the terminal could receive in one transmission the configuration for measuring multiple number of carriers. The motivation for doing so would have been to reduce signaling overhead and improve the user equipment power efficiency. Regarding claim 16 the limitations of claim 16 are rejected in the same manner as analyzed above with respect to claim 7. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: He et al. (U.S. Pub. 20210266854) which disclose(s) performing measurements in telecommunication systems, and Chou et al. (U.S. Pub. 20110158118) which disclose(s), measurement and carrier group based optimization in wireless OFDM multi-carrier communication systems. 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAUL RIVAS whose telephone number is (571)270–5590. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, from 8:30am to 5:00pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner' s supervisor, Sujoy K. Kundu, can be reached on (571) 272 - 8586. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571–273–8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center to authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to the USPTO patent electronic filing system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800–786–9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571–272–1000. /RR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2471 /SUJOY K KUNDU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2471
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Prosecution Timeline

Jun 20, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 01, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Feb 16, 2026
Response Filed
Jul 16, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
84%
Grant Probability
93%
With Interview (+9.2%)
2y 8m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 484 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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