Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/434,174

MOBILITY MANAGEMENT METHOD AND COMMUNICATION APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Feb 06, 2024
Examiner
O CONNOR, BRIAN T
Art Unit
2465
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
85%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 11m
To Grant
94%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 85% — above average
85%
Career Allow Rate
753 granted / 885 resolved
+27.1% vs TC avg
Moderate +8% lift
Without
With
+8.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
36 currently pending
Career history
921
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
7.0%
-33.0% vs TC avg
§103
45.5%
+5.5% vs TC avg
§102
33.1%
-6.9% vs TC avg
§112
9.1%
-30.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 885 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 . This office action is in response to Applicant’s preliminary amendment filed on 3/18/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending. Priority Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. 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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Parichehrehteroujeni et al. (US 2023/0040285 A1; hereafter PARICH). With respect to claim 1, PARICH discloses a mobility management method (Abstract And Title), comprising: receiving, by a first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), a conditional handover success message from a second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), wherein the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) is a network device of a target cell, and the target cell belongs to a conditional handover candidate cell (CHO decision, step 2 of FIG. 7) configured by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) for a terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7); and sending, by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), conditional handover configuration information to the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 2, PARICH further discloses 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: releasing (Step 10 of FIG.7; paragraph [0165]), by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), the conditional handover configuration information (Step 10 of FIG.7; paragraph [0165]). With respect to claim 3, PARICH further discloses 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 4, PARICH further discloses 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), a mobility report from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), wherein the mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) is from the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 5, PARICH further discloses 5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), analysis information obtained based on a mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7), wherein the mobility report is from the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 6, PARICH further discloses 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in response to the terminal device detecting a radio link failure (paragraphs [0028] and [0039]) or no radio link failure between the terminal device and the conditional handover target candidate cell, the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) receives the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 7, PARICH further discloses 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conditional handover configuration information comprises conditional handover information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) that is of one or more candidate cells (paragraphs [0032], [0033], and [0034]). With respect to claim 8, PARICH discloses a mobility management method (Abstract And Title), comprising: sending, by a second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), a conditional handover success message to a first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7), wherein the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) is a network device of a target cell, and the target cell belongs to a conditional handover candidate cell (CHO decision, step 2 of FIG. 7) configured by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) for a terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7); and receiving, by the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), conditional handover configuration information of the terminal device from the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 9, PARICH further discloses 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: receiving, by the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), a mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) of the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7) from a receiving network device, wherein the receiving network device is a network device that receives the mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) from the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 10, PARICH further discloses 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) to the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 11, PARICH further discloses 11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method further comprises: sending, by the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), the mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) to the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 12, PARICH further discloses 12. The method according to claim 8, wherein in response to the terminal device detecting a radio link failure (paragraphs [0028] and [0039]) or no radio link failure between the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7) and the conditional handover candidate cell, the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) sends the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) to the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 13, PARICH further discloses 13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the conditional handover configuration information comprises conditional handover information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) that is of one or more candidate cells (paragraphs [0032], [0033], and [0034]). With respect to claim 14, PARICH discloses a communication system, comprising: a first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7); and a second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), wherein the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) is configured to receive a conditional handover success message from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) and send conditional handover configuration information (CHO decision, step 2 of FIG. 7) to the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), wherein the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) is a network device of a target cell, and wherein the target cell belongs to a conditional handover candidate cell configured (CHO decision, step 2 of FIG. 7) by the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) for a terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 15, PARICH further discloses 15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) is further configured to release the conditional handover configuration information (Step 10 of FIG.7; paragraph [0165]). With respect to claim 16, PARICH further discloses 16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) is further configured to receive the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 17, PARICH further discloses 17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) is further configured to receive a mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), and wherein the mobility report (Step 1, Meas Report in FIG. 7) is from the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 18, PARICH further discloses 18. The system according to claim 14, wherein in response to the terminal device detecting a radio link failure (paragraphs [0028] and [0039]) or no radio link failure between the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7) and the conditional handover candidate cell, the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7) is configured to send the conditional handover configuration information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) to the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 19, PARICH further discloses 19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the first network device (720, Source Node in FIG. 7) is configured to receive, from the second network device (730, Target Node in FIG. 7), analysis information obtained based on a mobility report, and wherein the mobility report is from the terminal device (710, UE in FIG. 7). With respect to claim 20, PARICH further discloses 20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the conditional handover configuration information comprises conditional handover information (paragraphs [0158] and [0159]) that is of one or more candidate cells (paragraphs [0032], [0033], and [0034]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Brian T O'Connor whose telephone number is (571)270-1081. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri Flex 10am-6:30pm. 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, Gary Mui can be reached at 571-270-1420. 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. /BRIAN T O CONNOR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465 January 22, 2026
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Feb 06, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 18, 2024
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 22, 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
85%
Grant Probability
94%
With Interview (+8.4%)
2y 11m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 885 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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