Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/419,216

CONFIGURATION FOR TIMING OF BEAM MANAGEMENT WITH MECHANICAL DISPLACEMENT OF ANTENNA PANELS IN A CUSTOMER PREMISES EQUIPMENT

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jan 22, 2024
Examiner
MEJIA, ANTHONY
Art Unit
2451
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 10m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allow Rate
600 granted / 720 resolved
+25.3% vs TC avg
Strong +19% interview lift
Without
With
+18.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 10m
Avg Prosecution
10 currently pending
Career history
730
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
14.2%
-25.8% vs TC avg
§103
45.0%
+5.0% vs TC avg
§102
17.5%
-22.5% vs TC avg
§112
12.0%
-28.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 720 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 . Allowable Subject Matter Claims 15-20 are allowed. Claims 2-3 and 10-11 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action: A person shall be entitled to a patent unless – (a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 1, 4-9, and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2021/0184746 A1) (hereinafter as Park). Regarding Claim 1. Park teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a wireless device, comprising: one or more memories (par [0072] discloses memory); and one or more processors (par [0071] discloses one or more processors), coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the wireless device to: transmit mechanical displacement information that indicates an expected amount of time to mechanically displace at least one antenna panel in the wireless device (a BS 105 may transmit SSBs by sweeping across a set of predefined beam directions and may repeat the SSB transmissions at a certain time interval in the set of beam directions to allow a UE 115 to perform initial network access, par [0061]); receive a configuration for a set of beam failure reference signals (BFRSs) that are associated with the mechanical displacement information (Upon detecting a beam failure, the UE 115 may perform a BFR with the BS 105 to request for communication over a different beam direction, par [0061]); and receive the set of BFRSs in accordance with the configuration (if all beams in the RS set (402-408, 412-418) fail, then node 315 may perform BFR/BFD, which may include sending a beam failure recovery request via PRACH on a selected candidate beam. BS 305 may then transmit a recovered RS set that includes a replacement wide beam corresponding to the candidate beam, par [0069]). Regarding Claim 4. Park further teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the expected amount of time is for a rotational displacement of the antenna panel (a BS 105 may transmit SSBs by sweeping across a set of predefined beam directions and may repeat the SSB transmissions at a certain time interval in the set of beam directions to allow a UE 115 to perform initial network access, par [0061]). Regarding Claim 5. Park further teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration indicates an amount of time to prepare to receive the set of BFRSs (a BS 105 may transmit SSBs by sweeping across a set of predefined beam directions and may repeat the SSB transmissions at a certain time interval in the set of beam directions to allow a UE 115 to perform initial network access, par [0061], After the UE monitors the beam identification reference signal (RS) set to find a new candidate beam, the beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) is transmitted to the BS via physical random access channel (PRACH) on the selected candidate beam. This beam failure detection and beam failure recovery (BFD/BFR), par [0038]). Regarding Claim 6. Park further teaches the apparatus of claim 5, wherein to receive the set of BFRSs, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the wireless device to prepare to receive the set of BFRSs the indicated amount of time after receiving the configuration, the indicated amount of time after a last BFRS (a BS 105 may transmit SSBs by sweeping across a set of predefined beam directions and may repeat the SSB transmissions at a certain time interval in the set of beam directions to allow a UE 115 to perform initial network access, par [0061], After the UE monitors the beam identification reference signal (RS) set to find a new candidate beam, the beam failure recovery request (BFRQ) is transmitted to the BS via physical random access channel (PRACH) on the selected candidate beam. This beam failure detection and beam failure recovery (BFD/BFR), par [0038]), or the indicated amount of time after receiving a command (receive a beam switch command from the BS, and/or perform a beam switch based on a beam switch command, par [0074]). Regarding Claim 7. Park further teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the configuration indicates an amount of time for a beam switch to occur after a beam switch command has been indicated ( subset of failed beams are switched to other candidate beams before all the serving control beams fail in order to avoid full BFD/BFR. When a UE detects a beam failure, it may send a partial beam recovery request (also called the beam switching request) to the BS via physical uplink control channel (PUCCH) on one or more of the active beams. The partial beam recovery method can reduce the number of BFD/BFR events and avoid the frequent use of RACH for BFRQ, par [0038] and receive a beam switch command from the BS, and/or perform a beam switch based on a beam switch command, par [0074]). Regarding Claim 8. Park further teaches the apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the wireless device to receive the beam switch command (receive a beam switch command from the BS, and/or perform a beam switch based on a beam switch command, par [0074]). Regarding Claims 9 and 12-14, these apparatus claims comprise limitations substantially the same, as those discussed in claims 1, 4-8 above, same rationale of rejection is applicable. Park further teaches a network entity (base station, see pars [0008-0009]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY MEJIA whose telephone number is (571)270-3630. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10:30 AM-6:30 PM 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, CHRISTOPHER PARRY can be reached at (571)272-8328. 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. /ANTHONY MEJIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2451
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 22, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 10, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102
Mar 11, 2026
Interview Requested
Mar 26, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Mar 26, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Apr 03, 2026
Response Filed

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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
83%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+18.8%)
2y 10m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 720 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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