Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/443,659

TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTING RANDOM ACCESS TIME-DOMAIN PARAMETERS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Feb 16, 2024
Examiner
SAM, PHIRIN
Art Unit
2476
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 11m
To Grant
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allow Rate
897 granted / 997 resolved
+32.0% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
34 currently pending
Career history
1031
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
7.1%
-32.9% vs TC avg
§103
53.1%
+13.1% vs TC avg
§102
24.0%
-16.0% vs TC avg
§112
3.8%
-36.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 997 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)(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, 15, 16, 17, 29, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Pub. 2023/0116886 to Kim. In regard claim 1, Kim teaches or discloses a user equipment (UE), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive first control signaling indicating a random access configuration, the random access configuration comprising a plurality of time-domain parameters for one or more random access procedures (see paragraphs [0292], [0293], [0671], and [0697], when the UE receives an indicator for resuming the cell group, if the RRC message includes the random access configuration information (random access transmission resource information (time or frequency transmission resource). The UE receives the first RRC message 1p-15, the UE may read and identify the first RRC message, and may configure or add or modify or resume or suspend or deactivate dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG)); receive second control signaling that modifies a subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters indicated in the random access configuration (see paragraphs [0646], the UE receives the second RRC message 1o-20, the UE may read and identify the second RRC message, or may read information included in the second RRC message (e.g., first RRC message included in the second RRC message) and may configure or add or modify or resume or suspend or deactivate dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG)); perform a random access procedure in accordance with the modified subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters (see paragraphs [0168], [0169], [0173], [0225], [0643], and [0694], the UE performs 2-step random access procedure as configured or indicated the UE may perform a random access procedure in an initial bandwidth part (initial BWP) of a cell on which the UE camps, may request an RRC connection configuration, and may receive an RRC message so as to perform RRC connection configuration. The first indicator may be an indicator to trigger a random access procedure in the cell group or the cell, or an indicator to perform signal synchronization with a new cell, or an indicator indicating to perform frequency shift of the UE, or an indicator indicating to modify the cell group (or cell)). In regard claim 15, Kim teaches or discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein: the first control signaling comprises system information block signaling or radio resource control signaling (see paragraphs [0032], [0101], [0144], [0147], and [0225], a procedure for a terminal transitions to switch from a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode to an RRC connected mode. When the UE completes synchronization, the UE may identify a master system information block (MIB) or minimum system information (MSI) to identify control resource set (CORESET) information, and may identify initial access bandwidth part (initial BWP) (1E-15, 1E-20). That is, the CORESET information is information indicating from where first system information (system information block 1, SIB1) is transmitted, and indicates a frequency/time resource via which PDCCH is transmitted). In regard claim 16, Kim teaches or discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein: the second control signaling comprises paging downlink control information signaling, paging message signaling, paging early indication signaling, downlink control information signaling, or scheduling downlink control information signaling (see paragraphs [0149], [0152], [0160], [0231], [0274], and [0795], a message (e.g., an RRC message or RRC Reconfiguration or MAC control information or downlink control information (DCI) of PDCCH) indicating activation or resumption of the cell group or cell (SpCell (Pcell or PSCell) or SCell) may include second channel measurement configuration information for measuring a signal of a cell (PSCell or PCell or SCell) of a cell group. An RRC message, MAC control information (MAC control element), or L1 signaling (downlink control information (DCI) of PDCCH)). In regard claim 17, Kim teaches or discloses a network entity (see Figs. 1a, 1c, 1t), comprising: one or more memories storing processor-executable code (see Fig. 1t, element 1t-40; and one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories (see Fig. 1t, element 1t-50 and 1t-40) and individually or collectively operable to execute the code to cause the network entity to: output first control signaling indicating a random access configuration, the random access configuration comprising a plurality of time-domain parameters for one or more random access procedures (see paragraphs [0167], [0190], [0270], [0339], and [0356], the base station may transmit a random access response (RAR) message via the initial bandwidth part, which enables all UEs to read the RAR message, so that there may be an advantage in facilitating a contention-based random access procedure.The base station may configure the first channel measurement configuration information that can quickly measure and report the channel when the UE activates a cell in an RRC message (RRCReconfiguration or RRCResume). The base station transmits the MAC control information 1j-30 or 1j-3l proposed in the first to the UE, the base station determines for the UE whether to activate or deactivate the cells corresponding to the cell identifier value configured by the RRC message. Then, the base station configures each C(i) field value corresponding to each cell identifier (SCell index) value (i) in the MAC control information to 0 or 1 and transmits the configured C(i) field to the UE to activate or deactivate the cell configured in the UE); output second control signaling that modifies a subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters indicated in the random access configuration (see paragraph [0770], a master BS or a secondary BS to request a UL transmission resource or to request to configure or add or activate or resume or modify or reconfigure dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG) or a cell in another method, when the UE receives configuration information or an indicator for releasing or deactivating or reconfiguring or suspending dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG) or a cell (e.g., via DCI of a PDCCH or MAC control information or an RRC message)); perform a random access procedure in accordance with the modified subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters (see paragraphs [0228], [0270], [0538], [0621], [0635], and [0661], when a random access procedure is performed, the base station may transmit a random access response (RAR) message via the initial bandwidth part, which enables all UEs to read the RAR message, so that there may be an advantage in facilitating contention-based random access. The base station may transmit, to the UE, the RRC message (e.g., RRCResume) including configuration information or an indicator indicating whether to discard or clear, maintain and apply, or reconfigure the SCell configuration information (e.g., configuration information. The UE and the base station (e.g., secondary BS) transmit or receive a plurality of RRC messages therebetween, an identifier for identifying each RRC message may be included in the RRC message). In regard claim 29, Kim teaches or discloses a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising: receiving first control signaling indicating a random access configuration, the random access configuration comprising a plurality of time-domain parameters for one or more random access procedures (see paragraphs [0292], [0293], [0671], and [0697], when the UE receives an indicator for resuming the cell group, if the RRC message includes the random access configuration information (random access transmission resource information (time or frequency transmission resource). The UE receives the first RRC message 1p-15, the UE may read and identify the first RRC message, and may configure or add or modify or resume or suspend or deactivate dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG)); receiving second control signaling that modifies a subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters indicated in the random access configuration (see paragraph [0646], the UE receives the second RRC message 1o-20, the UE may read and identify the second RRC message, or may read information included in the second RRC message (e.g., first RRC message included in the second RRC message) and may configure or add or modify or resume or suspend or deactivate dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG)); and performing a random access procedure in accordance with the modified subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters (see paragraphs [0168], [0169], [0173], [0225], [0643], and [0694], the UE performs 2-step random access procedure as configured or indicated the UE may perform a random access procedure in an initial bandwidth part (initial BWP) of a cell on which the UE camps, may request an RRC connection configuration, and may receive an RRC message so as to perform RRC connection configuration. The first indicator may be an indicator to trigger a random access procedure in the cell group or the cell, or an indicator to perform signal synchronization with a new cell, or an indicator indicating to perform frequency shift of the UE, or an indicator indicating to modify the cell group (or cell)). In regard claim 30, Kim teaches or discloses a method for wireless communications at a network entity, comprising: outputting first control signaling indicating a random access configuration, the random access configuration comprising a plurality of time-domain parameters for one or more random access procedures (see paragraphs [0167], [0190], [0270], [0339], and [0356], the base station may transmit a random access response (RAR) message via the initial bandwidth part, which enables all UEs to read the RAR message, so that there may be an advantage in facilitating a contention-based random access procedure.The base station may configure the first channel measurement configuration information that can quickly measure and report the channel when the UE activates a cell in an RRC message (RRCReconfiguration or RRCResume). The base station transmits the MAC control information 1j-30 or 1j-3l to the UE, the base station determines for the UE whether to activate or deactivate the cells corresponding to the cell identifier value configured by the RRC message. Then, the base station configures each C(i) field value corresponding to each cell identifier (SCell index) value (i) in the MAC control information to 0 or 1 and transmits the configured C(i) field to the UE to activate or deactivate the cell configured in the UE); outputting second control signaling that modifies a subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters indicated in the random access configuration (see paragraph [0770], a master BS or a secondary BS to request a UL transmission resource or to request to configure or add or activate or resume or modify or reconfigure dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG) or a cell in another method, when the UE receives configuration information or an indicator for releasing or deactivating or reconfiguring or suspending dual connectivity or a cell group (e.g., SCG) or a cell (e.g., via DCI of a PDCCH or MAC control information or an RRC message)); and performing a random access procedure in accordance with the modified subset of the plurality of time-domain parameters (see paragraphs [0228], [0270], [0538], [0621], [0635], and [0661], when a random access procedure is performed, the base station may transmit a random access response (RAR) message via the initial bandwidth part, which enables all UEs to read the RAR message, so that there may be an advantage in facilitating contention-based random access. The base station may transmit, to the UE, the RRC message (e.g., RRCResume) including configuration information or an indicator indicating whether to discard or clear, maintain and apply, or reconfigure the SCell configuration information (e.g., configuration information. The UE and the base station (e.g., secondary BS) transmit or receive a plurality of RRC messages therebetween, an identifier for identifying each RRC message may be included in the RRC message). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2-14 and 18-28 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHIRIN SAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3082. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 10:30am - 5pm. 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, Ayaz R. Sheikh can be reached at (571) 272 - 3795. 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. /PHIRIN SAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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Prosecution Timeline

Feb 16, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 07, 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
96%
With Interview (+6.3%)
2y 11m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 997 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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