Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/429,764

TERMINAL DEVICE, BASE STATION DEVICE, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR LOW-LATENCY TIME DIVISION COMMUNICATION

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Feb 01, 2024
Examiner
BELETE, BERHANU D
Art Unit
2418
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Kddi Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
75%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 4m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 75% — above average
75%
Career Allow Rate
326 granted / 436 resolved
+16.8% vs TC avg
Strong +34% interview lift
Without
With
+33.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 4m
Avg Prosecution
47 currently pending
Career history
483
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.2%
-35.8% vs TC avg
§103
75.6%
+35.6% vs TC avg
§102
9.6%
-30.4% vs TC avg
§112
7.5%
-32.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 436 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION This office action response to the communication filed on 02/01/2024. Claims 1-14 are presented for examination. Notice of 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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statements (lDSs) submitted on February 01, 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner. Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. 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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Skov et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20150103704 A1), (“D1”, hereinafter). As per Claim 1, D1 discloses a terminal device ([see, Fig. 1, mobile devices 1 and 2]) comprising: one or more processors ([see, [0052], one or more data processors]); and one or more memories that stores a computer-readable instruction for causing, when executed by the one or more processors ([see, [0052], one or more memory with data processors]), the one or more processors to function as: a setting unit configured to perform setting so that a timeslot allocation is switched, in units of time slots, between a first allocation and a second allocation different from the first allocation ([0036-0039], and Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, wherein the communications of TDD radio frames arrangement configuration setting, the TDD radio frames particularly for allocation of downlink and uplink subframes that an arrangement where at least one special subframe containing at least one pilot period is provided in the radio frame, wherein special subframe comprises time for downlink and uplink pilots and for a guard period between the downlink and uplink pilot periods, and special subframes of the radio frame can provide switching points. Wherein switching from the downlink to the uplink transmission disclosed]), the first allocation and the second allocation being allocation of a time slot ([see, [0007], special subframe comprises Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields]) in which uplink communication is performed and a time slot in which downlink communication ([see, [0007], radio frames can be switched between uplink and downlink subframes. Switching from the downlink to the uplink can be provided on a subframe commonly referred to as a special subframe]) is performed in time division duplex (TDD) communication ([see, [0008], UL/DL allocation for time division duplexing (TDD)]); and a communication unit configured to perform communication with a base station device based on the setting ([see, [0032-0033], wherein the mobile communication devices performing in communication with the base stations, communication of radio frames based on the setting, such as necessary information for enabling flexible switching and/or allocation of radio resources for communications between the base station and mobile devices]). As per Claim 6, D1 discloses A base station device comprising: one or more processors ([see, [0052], one or more data processors]); and one or more memories that stores a computer-readable instruction for causing, when executed by the one or more processors ([see, [0052], one or more memory with data processors]), the one or more processors to function as: a setting unit configured to perform setting of a terminal device so that a timeslot allocation is switched, in units of time slots (i.e., Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields), between a first allocation and a second allocation different from the first allocation ([0007, 0037-0039], and Fig. 4, wherein the communications of TDD radio frames arrangement configuration setting, the TDD radio frames particularly for allocation of Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields subframes that an arrangement where at least one special subframe containing at least one pilot period is provided in the radio frame, wherein special subframe comprises time for downlink and uplink pilots and for a guard period between the downlink and uplink pilot periods disclosed]), the first allocation and the second allocation being allocation of a time slot ([see, [0007], special subframe comprises Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields]) in which uplink communication is performed and a time slot in which downlink communication ([see, [0007], radio frames can be switched between uplink and downlink subframes. Switching from the downlink to the uplink can be provided on a subframe commonly referred to as a special subframe]) is performed in time division duplex (TDD) communication ([see, [0008], UL/DL allocation for time division duplexing (TDD)]); and a communication unit configured to perform communication with the terminal device based on the setting ([see, [0032-0033], wherein the mobile communication devices performing in communication with the base stations, communication of radio frames based on the setting, such as necessary information for enabling flexible switching and/or allocation of radio resources for communications between the base station and mobile devices]). As per Claims 2, 7, D1 further discloses wherein the communication unit receives, from the base station device, information designating at least one of a time slot in which the first allocation is to be used and a time slot in which the second allocation is to be used, and the setting unit performs the setting based on the information ([see, [0037-0038], wherein the signal propagation time from a base station to mobile device, the signal propagation time information prevent conflicts when switching from the uplink to the downlink transmission designating to provide setting for flexible uplink/downlink (UL/DL) allocation for transmission of time division duplex (TDD) radio frames]). As per Claims 3, 8, D1 further discloses wherein the information is transmitted from the base station device using downlink control information (DCI) ([see, [0038-0039], wherein the signal propagation time from a base station to mobile device, the signal propagation time information prevent conflicts when switching from the uplink to the downlink transmission, and downlink control information is signaled in the at least one special subframe]). As per Claims 4, 9, D1 further discloses wherein the information is transmitted from the base station device using a radio resource control (RRC) message ([see, [0038-0039, 0044], wherein special subframe design it is possible to support efficient communication between a base station and mobile device(s), signaling of important radio resource control (RRC) information within the special subframe]). As per Claims 5, 10, D1 further discloses wherein the information is transmitted from the base station device using a system information block (SIB) ([see, [0005, 0008], cell specific UL/DL configuration is broadcasted in system information block 2 (SIB-2)]). As per Claim 11, D1 discloses communication method executed by a terminal device ([see, Fig. 1, mobile devices 1 and 2]), comprising: performing setting so that a timeslot allocation is switched, in units of time slots (i.e., Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields), between a first allocation and a second allocation different from the first allocation ([0007, 0037-0039], and Fig. 4, wherein the communications of TDD radio frames arrangement configuration setting, the TDD radio frames particularly for allocation of Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields subframes that an arrangement where at least one special subframe containing at least one pilot period is provided in the radio frame, wherein special subframe comprises time for downlink and uplink pilots and for a guard period between the downlink and uplink pilot periods disclosed]), the first allocation and the second allocation being allocation of a time slot ([see, [0007], special subframe comprises Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields]) in which uplink communication is performed and a time slot in which downlink communication ([see, [0007], radio frames can be switched between uplink and downlink subframes. Switching from the downlink to the uplink can be provided on a subframe commonly referred to as a special subframe]) is performed in time division duplex (TDD) communication ([see, [0008], UL/DL allocation for time division duplexing (TDD)]); and performing communication with a base station device based on the setting ([see, [0032-0033], wherein the mobile communication devices performing in communication with the base stations, communication of radio frames based on the setting, such as necessary information for enabling flexible switching and/or allocation of radio resources for communications between the base station and mobile devices]). As per Claim 12, D1 discloses communication method executed by a base station device, wireless access via base stations (see, FIG. 1 shows two base stations 10 and 12, provided with wireless access via base stations]), comprising: performing setting of a terminal device so that a timeslot allocation is switched, in units of time slots (i.e., Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields), between a first allocation and a second allocation different from the first allocation ([0007, 0037-0039], and Fig. 4, wherein the communications of TDD radio frames arrangement configuration setting, the TDD radio frames particularly for allocation of Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields subframes that an arrangement where at least one special subframe containing at least one pilot period is provided in the radio frame, wherein special subframe comprises time for downlink and uplink pilots and for a guard period between the downlink and uplink pilot periods disclosed]), the first allocation and the second allocation being allocation of a time slot ([see, [0007], special subframe comprises Downlink Pilot Timeslot (DwPTS) 22 and Uplink Pilot Timeslot (UpPTS) 24 fields]) in which uplink communication is performed and a time slot in which downlink communication ([see, [0007], radio frames can be switched between uplink and downlink subframes. Switching from the downlink to the uplink can be provided on a subframe commonly referred to as a special subframe]) is performed in time division duplex (TDD) communication ([see, [0008], UL/DL allocation for time division duplexing (TDD)]); and performing communication with the terminal device (mobile devices) based on the setting ([see, [0032-0033], wherein the mobile communication devices performing in communication with the base stations, communication of radio frames based on the setting, such as necessary information for enabling flexible switching and/or allocation of radio resources for communications between the base station and mobile devices]). As per Claim 13, is the non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) claim corresponding to the apparatus claim 1 that has been rejected above. Applicant attention is directed to the rejection of claim 1. Claim 13 is anticipated by CRM being performed by the apparatus above and therefore is rejected under the same rational as claim 1. As per Claim 14, is the non-transitory computer readable medium (CRM) claim corresponding to the apparatus claim 6 that has been rejected above. Applicant attention is directed to the rejection of claim 6. Claim 14 is anticipated by CRM being performed by the apparatus above and therefore is rejected under the same rational as claim 6. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BERHANU BELETE whose telephone number is (571)272-3478. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm, Alt. Friday, and EDT. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JEONG, MOO R. can be reached on (571) 272-9617. 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 the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR 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. /BERHANU D BELETE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2468 /WUTCHUNG CHU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2418
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Prosecution Timeline

Feb 01, 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
75%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+33.8%)
3y 4m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 436 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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