Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/419,929

METHODS FOR BEAM-DEPENDENT SCHEDULING OFFSET DETERMINATION

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jan 23, 2024
Examiner
ELPENORD, CANDAL
Art Unit
2473
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 8m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allow Rate
971 granted / 1082 resolved
+31.7% vs TC avg
Moderate +12% lift
Without
With
+12.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
27 currently pending
Career history
1109
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.2%
-34.8% vs TC avg
§103
48.5%
+8.5% vs TC avg
§102
25.1%
-14.9% vs TC avg
§112
9.2%
-30.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1082 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 . 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 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a1) as being anticipated by Raghavan et al (US 2022/0346078 A1). Regarding claim 6, Raghavan ‘078 discloses a network entity (fig. 8, fig. 11, device as the base station, see, the base station which schedules shared channel transmissions according to beam configurations (section 0097, fig. 8, device 805 as a base station 105) comprising: a memory (fig. 8, the communication manager 820/communications management software or firmware/fig. 11, memory 1130 coupled to a processor 1140, section 050-0154, 0179-0187) storing processor-readable code (fig. 8, fig. 11, see, code executed/memory 1130 which stores computer-readable , computer-executable code including instructions executed by the processor, section 0150-0154, 0179-0187); and at least one processor coupled to the memory (fig. 8, fig. 11, processor coupled to the communication manager, transmitter 815/memory, receiver 810 and the communication manager 820, section 0150-0157, 0179-0187), the at least one processor configured to execute the processor-readable code (fig. 8, fig. 11, see, code executed/memory 1130 which stores computer-readable , computer-executable code including instructions executed by the processor, section 0150-0154, 0179-0187) to cause the at least one processor (fig.8, transmitter and communication manager transmits signals, beam configuration to other components/devices, section 0150-0154, fig. 11, processor coupled to the memory, section 0179-0187) to: transmit to at least one UE (see, the UE receives configurations (i.e., beam selections signals and other control signals) from a base station, section 0088) a time domain resource allocation table (see, the UE is configured with time domain resources allocation table with scheduling parameters, scheduling offsets, section 0092) including one or more default scheduling offsets for one of uplink communication or downlink communication (see, default beam in relation to scheduling offsets, the UE transmits the PUSCH based on one or more scheduling offsets, section 0092-0093, noted: applying of default beams in relation to uplink and downlink communications between the UE and the base station, section 0100); transmit a scheduling message to the at least one UE (see, the UE may receive a PDCCH in a slots indicating a row index and downlink allocation for a PDSCH the UE is to receive, section 0092), the scheduling message identifying one of a downlink allocation and a corresponding default downlink scheduling offset from the time domain resource allocation table or an uplink grant (see, uplink grant for a PUSCH the UE is to transmit in relation to the time domain resource allocation table, section 0092, noted: applying of default beams in relation to uplink and downlink communications between the UE and the base station, section 0100), and a corresponding default uplink scheduling offset from the time domain resource allocation table (see, the PDCCH that the UE receives relates to time domain resource allocation table listing the scheduling offsets, section 0092-0093, 0098-default beam, noted: applying of default beams in relation to uplink and downlink communications between the UE and the base station, section 0100); receive a beam-dependent scheduling offset message from the at least one UE (see, the UE may determines beam switching configuration, default beam switching, and the UE and the base station communicate via the shared channel transmissions based on the beam switching configuration, section 0092-0094, noted: the UE transmits to the base station, section 0096-0097); determine a beam-dependent scheduling offset based on the beam-dependent scheduling offset message (see, based on the beam switching capability indication from the UE, the base station schedules the UE for PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions, section 0096, noted: the beam switching is related to scheduling offset, section 0092-0093); and perform one of the uplink communication or the downlink communication using the beam-dependent scheduling offset (see, based on the beam switching capability indication from the UE, the base station schedules the UE for PDSCH or PUSCH transmissions, section 0096, noted: the beam switching is related to scheduling offset, section 0092-0093). Regarding claim 7, Raghavan ‘078 discloses the network entity of claim 6, wherein the beam-dependent scheduling offset message is the beam-dependent scheduling offset (noted: the beam switching is related to scheduling offset, and beam capability indication, section 0092-0093). Regarding claim 8, Raghavan ‘078 discloses the network entity of claim 6, wherein the beam-dependent scheduling offset message (noted: scheduling offset in relation to beam switching capability, section 0092-0093) includes an indicator of a processing state of the at least one UE (see, respective performance metrics from a set of beam switches, section 0132-033, 0170-0171) in an adaptive beamforming procedure (see, the use of beamforming weight sets for reception and transmission by the UE or the base station, and beam switching in relation highest signal strength, section 0084-0085, 0087-0088, 0091). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 9-10 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. The closest prior arts either singularly or in combination fail to reasonably anticipate or render obvious “wherein the processor-readable code further causes the at least one processor to: receive, from the at least one UE, a known status of a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state corresponding to adaptive beam weights generated by the at least one UE, the known status being one of the TCI state is known to the at least one UE or the TCI state is unknown to the at least one UE” recited in claim 9. Claims 1-5, 11-15 are allowed. The closest prior arts either singularly or in combination fail to reasonably anticipate or render obvious “the beam-dependent scheduling offset message being based on a processing state of the UE in an adaptive beamforming procedure; generate a beam for one of the uplink communication or the downlink communication using one or more adaptive beam weights determined in the adaptive beamforming procedure; and perform the one of the uplink communication or the downlink communication using the beam at a beam-dependent scheduling offset, the beam-dependent scheduling offset corresponding to a time for the UE to complete the adaptive beamforming procedure from the processing state” in combination with the other elements as specified in the claim 1 and 11 respectively. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. HUANG et al (US 2022/0070899 A1) JANG et al (US 2024/0297764 A1) discloses determining of default beam based on the present or absence of field in the TCI state, default beam associated with the scheduling offset threshold (section 0197-0205). Yi et al (US 2022/0361202 A1) discloses time domain resource allocation using TDRA table based on allocation field of the DCI, scheduling offsets from the time domain resource allocation table (section 0177-0289). Yi further discloses determining PDSCH default beams based on TCI indications (section 0307, 0457-0462). Prasad et al (US 2024/0244636 A1) discloses allocation of resources in a network, default beam selection (section 0002, 0004-0226) JUNG et al (US 2022/0408470 A1) discloses resource allocation, offsets scheduling (section 0430-0506). Akkarakaran et al (US 2019/0261338 A1) discloses determining default transmits from a set of candidate uplink transmission based on a scheduling parameter (section 0130-0131, 0147-0148, 0168-0171). Kwak et al (US 2024/0171332 A1) discloses scheduling offsets, applying the default beam, interpreting the time domain resource allocation (TDRA) configuration (section 0404-0444). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CANDAL ELPENORD whose telephone number is (571)270-3123. The examiner can normally be reached 9 am -6 pm M-F. 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, Kwang B Yao can be reached at 571 272-3182. 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. /CANDAL ELPENORD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Jan 23, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 21, 2026
Non-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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+12.4%)
2y 8m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1082 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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