Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 22, 2026
Application No. 18/339,661

CHANNELS OR SIGNALS IN SUB-BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH SUB-BAND FULL DUPLEX SLOTS OR SYMBOLS

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Jun 22, 2023
Priority
Sep 21, 2022 — provisional 63/376,569
Examiner
JAIN, RAJ K
Art Unit
2411
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
3 (Non-Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
95%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allowance Rate
739 granted / 843 resolved
+29.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+7.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
881
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.7%
-34.3% vs TC avg
§103
51.2%
+11.2% vs TC avg
§102
19.9%
-20.1% vs TC avg
§112
15.3%
-24.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 843 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . DETAILED ACTION 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 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. Claim(s) 1,6-812,15-17,21,25-28 and 31-32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al (US 20240195440 A1) hereinafter as Liu in view of Deogun et al (US 20250330849 A1). Regarding claim(s) 1,12,21 and 28, Liu discloses an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE) (See Fig(s). 3), comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories (See Fig(s). 21-22 with memory 2130 and processor 2120), configured to: receive, from a network node, a first common downlink channel or reference signal in a downlink slot or symbol (See ¶ 111, UE receiving the first common signal from network node). Liu fails to disclose receive, from the network node, synchronization signal block in at least one downlink sub-band associated with a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot or symbol. Deogun discloses receive, from the network node and in a sub-band full duplex (SBFD) slot or symbol (See Fig(s). 1A-1D, See ¶ 11,227, in subband non-overlapping FD (‘SBFD’, also referred to as cross division duplex (XDD)), non-overlapping UL and DL subbands may be configured in the TDD carrier), synchronization signal block in at least one downlink sub-band associated with a SBFD slot or symbol (See ¶ 124, The base station 5 is thus able to configure one or more of the slots (and/or symbols) of the TDD carrier as FD slots (and/or symbols) or more specifically, in a case where, subband non-overlapping full duplex (SBFD) is used for full duplex operation, SBFD slots (and/or symbols) ….See Fig(s). 19, See ¶ 223, 227, 232-233, the communication system 1, the base station 5 is configured for, in one or more same SBFD slots (or symbols), transmission to a UE 3 in the downlink via a first set (or group) of antenna elements… See ¶ 139, The base station 5 is also configured to transmit synchronization signal blocks (SSBs) in one or more cells 9 that it operates.). SSB enables a user equipment (UE) to perform initial cell search, acquire time and frequency synchronization, and decode essential system information. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Deogun within Liu, so as to properly synchronize with given cell network. Further with regards to claims 12 and 28, Liu discloses the communication at the network node for transmission/reception of first and second common signals from the UE (See Fig(s). 1, 21,22, See ¶ 31-32), and further regarding claim 28, network node with memory and processor (See Fig(s). 20, See ¶ 209). Regarding claim(s) 6,15, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with control resource set symbols or slots (See ¶ 109, The network device sends the first signal and the second signal to the terminal device. For example, the first signal may be downlink control information (DCI), and the second signal may be a signal carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH). Regarding claim(s) 7,16, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common search space physical downlink control channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 123-125, The PDCCH carries the first signal, namely, the DCI.). Regarding claim(s) 8,17, Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common search space physical downlink control channel scheduled physical downlink shared channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 109, The network device sends the first signal and the second signal to the terminal device. For example, the first signal may be downlink control information (DCI), and the second signal may be a signal carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)…. See also ¶ 123-125 for PDCCH). Regarding claim(s) 26,31 Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first uplink channel or reference signal or the second uplink channel or reference signal is associated with sounding reference signal symbols or slots (See ¶ 112, the first signal is DCI, and the second signal is an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS).). Regarding claim(s) 25, 27,32 Liu discloses wherein at least one of the first uplink channel or reference signal or the second uplink channel or reference signal is associated with physical uplink control channel symbols or slots (See ¶ 115, the first signal may be HARQ-ACK information of another signal, and the information is carried on a PUCCH. The second signal may be a semi-persistent report carried on a PUCCH, and the report includes a measurement result of a semi-persistent CSI-RS.). Claim(s) 3-5,9-11,14,18-20,23-24 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al (US 20240195440 A1) hereinafter as Liu in view of Deogun et al (US 20250330849 A1) further in view of Park et al (US 20250038906 A1) hereinafter as Park with priority to provisional app(63/395133) filed Aug 4, 2022. Regarding claim(s) 3,14,23,30, Park discloses wherein an uplink transmission in an uplink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol does not overlap in time with the second common downlink channel or reference signal in the at least one downlink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol (See Fig(s). 4A, See ¶ 2, 89, Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to wireless communications and, for example to methods, apparatus and systems for DL power adjustment and UE behaviors/procedures for subband non-overlapping full duplex (SBFD) or XDD). Non-overlapping uplink and downlink allows for larger allocation of resources within a given sub-band for increased data transfers. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate the teachings of Park within Liu, so as to have an increase data throughput rates both in uplink and downlink channels without comprise. Regarding claim(s) 4,24 Park discloses wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: drop an uplink occasion in an uplink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol that at least partially overlaps in time with the second common downlink channel or reference signal in the at least one downlink sub-band associated with the SBFD slot or symbol (See ¶ 137,. a first FD mode (e.g., Mode 1) in which there is frequency-domain full-overlapping FD for the base station/gNB (e.g., one or more first RBs for DL transmissions from the base station/gNB and one or more second RBs for UL receptions at the base station/gNB may be overlapped or at least partially overlapped). Reasons for combining same as claim 3. Regarding claim(s) 5, Deogun discloses wherein the uplink occasion is a radio resource control configured uplink occasion, and wherein the uplink occasion is a random access channel occasion or is associated with a configured grant (See Fig(s). See ¶ 203, In the communication system 1, UL communication by the UE 3 (e.g., PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS, and PRACH transmissions) is subject to power control (for example as defined in 3GPP TS 38.213 for a 5G communication system). The communication system supports multiple power states for both PUSCH transmission power and for PUCCH transmission power (e.g., to support multiple transmission reception points per cell). Reasons for combining same as claim 1. Regarding claim(s) 9,18 Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common reference signals including tracking reference signals (See ¶ 164, A UE may be configured with one or more periodic and/or semi-persistent DL RS resources, e.g., one or more SSBs, one or more CSI-RS resources for CSI, beam management resources, mobility resources, positioning resources and/or tracking resources.) Reasons for combining same as claim 3. Regarding claim(s) 10,19, Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with common semi-persistent scheduling occasions for broadcasting signals (See ¶ 76,78, The UE may apply the power-level compensation (e.g., based on the DPA) on/for particular symbol/slot (e.g., indicated as an XDD-symbol/slot, e.g., by using a mixed UL/DL slot/symbol format), for example when measuring a periodic/semi-persistent Channel State information Reference Signal (CSI-RS).. Reasons for combining same as claim 3. Regarding claim(s) 11,20, Park discloses wherein at least one of the first common downlink channel or reference signal or the second common downlink channel or reference signal is associated with group common downlink control information (See Fig(s). 2, See ¶ 83. NR supports dynamic time division duplex (TDD) by a group-common (GC) DCI format 2_0, ). Reasons for combining same as claim 2. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Raj Jain whose telephone number is (571) 272-3145. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th ~8 ~6. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Derrick Ferris can be reached on 571-272-3123. 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 for authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to Patent Center, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). 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) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/patents/uspto-automated- interview-request-air-form. /RAJ JAIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2411
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Show 4 earlier events
Mar 06, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 06, 2026
Interview Requested
Apr 21, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Apr 27, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
May 05, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
May 29, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Jun 08, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Oct 15, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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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
88%
Grant Probability
95%
With Interview (+7.7%)
2y 10m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 843 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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