Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/431,744

COMMUNICATION METHOD, USER EQUIPMENT, AND BASE STATION

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Feb 02, 2024
Examiner
EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
Art Unit
2467
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Kyocera Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
82%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 0m
To Grant
91%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 82% — above average
82%
Career Allow Rate
622 granted / 755 resolved
+24.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
41 currently pending
Career history
796
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
4.7%
-35.3% vs TC avg
§103
51.8%
+11.8% vs TC avg
§102
27.7%
-12.3% vs TC avg
§112
7.4%
-32.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 755 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 1. This communication is response to the application filed 01/06/2025 havingclaims 1-11 pending and presented for examination. Priority 2. Application filed on 02/02/2024 is a has CON of PCT/JP2022/029764 08/03/2022 PCT/JP2022/029764 has PRO 63/229,155 08/04/2021 are acknowledged. Drawings 3. The drawings were received on 02/02/2024 and these drawings are accepted. 4. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/06/2025, 09/09/2024,06/07/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Oath/Declaration 4. The Oath/Declaration filed on 02/02/2024 is accepted by the examiner. Claim Objections Claim 1 and other independent claims are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recite an acronym "MRB", define the current acronym "MRB", similar amendments are required in other independent claims. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 1. 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. 2. 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by US Publication US 20220209903 A1 Zhang et al. (Hereinafter “Zhang"). As per claim 1, Zhang teaches a communication method used in a mobile communication system for supporting a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), the communication method comprising: receiving, by a user equipment from a network node, a radio resource control (RRC) Reconfiguration message comprising an MBS session identifier of an MBS session, an identifier related to an MRB to which the MBS session is mapped (para 0026-0027], fig. 4, UE receives RRC information from the network wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network) and a hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session (para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). US 20220209903 A1 As per claim 2, Zhang teaches the communication method according to claim 1, wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message further comprises a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) sequence number corresponding to the MBS session (para 0025], UE monitors the sequence number (SN) of the PDCP service data unit). As per claim 3, Zhang teaches the communication method according to claim 1, further comprising setting, by the user equipment having received the RRC Reconfiguration message, the HFN comprised in the RRC Reconfiguration message as an HFN initial value (para 0022], setting, by the user equipment having received the RRC Reconfiguration message, the HFN comprised in the RRC Reconfiguration message as an HFN initial value RCVD_COUNt as RCVD_HFN,). As per claim 4, Zhang teaches the communication method according to claim 1, further comprising reestablishing, by the user equipment having received the RRC Reconfiguration message, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity (para 0028], received the RRC Reconfiguration message, a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) entity). As per claim 5, Zhang teaches the communication method according to claim 1, wherein the MBS session is a multicast session (para 0025], the MBS session is a multicast session). As per claim 6, Zhang teaches the communication method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier related to the MRB is MRB identifier (para 0028], the received identifier 496 identifier related to the MRB is MRB identifier). As per claim 7, Zhang teaches a user equipment used in a mobile communication system for supporting a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), the user equipment comprising a receiver configured to receive, from a network node, a radio resource control (RRC) Reconfiguration message comprising an MBS session identifier of an MBS session, an identifier related to an MRB to which the MBS session is mapped (para 0026-0027], fig. 4, UE receives RRC information from the network wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network), and a hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session (para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). As per claim 8, Zhang teaches the network node used in a mobile communication system for supporting a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), the network node comprising a transmitter configured to transmit, to a user equipment, a radio resource control (RRC) Reconfiguration message comprising an MBS session identifier of an MBS session, an identifier related to an MRB to which the MBS session is mapped (para 0026-0027], fig. 4, network is transmitting RRC information to the user equipment wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network), and a hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session (para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). As per claim 9, Zhang teaches a mobile communication system comprising: the user equipment according to claim 7 (para 0026-0027], fig. 4, UE receives RRC information from the network wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). As per claim 10, Zhang teaches the chipset for a user equipment used in a mobile communication system for supporting a multicast and broadcast service (MBS), the chipset comprising a circuitry configured to receive, from a network node, a radio resource control (RRC) Reconfiguration message comprising an MBS session identifier of an MBS session, an identifier related to an MRB to which the MBS session is mapped(para 0026-0027], fig. 4, UE receives RRC information from the network wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network), and a hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session(para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). As per claim 11, Zhang teaches the non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program that, when the program is executed by a user equipment, cause the user equipment to receive, from a network node, a radio resource control (RRC) Reconfiguration message comprising an MBS session identifier of an MBS session, an identifier related to an MRB to which the MBS session is mapped(para 0026-0027], fig. 4, UE receives RRC information from the network wherein the network wherein the received information includes multicast and broadcast service, and multicast identification, multicast bearer information which is mapped to multicast service for the incoming session from the network), and a hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session(para 0022], receives hyper frame number (HFN) corresponding to the MBS session). Conclusion Prior arts made of record, not relied upon: US Patent Publication US 20220124463 A1; US Patent Publication US 20220132333 A1, US Patent Publication US 20220210869 A1 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANEZ EBRAHIM whose telephone number is (571)270-7153. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8 AM to 5 PM If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hassan Phillips can be reached on (571) 272-3940. 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. /ANEZ C EBRAHIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2467
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 02, 2024
Application Filed
Jan 23, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102 (current)

Precedent Cases

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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
82%
Grant Probability
91%
With Interview (+8.2%)
3y 0m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 755 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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