Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/491,205

CALIBRATION OF RADIO FREQUENCY FOR SENSING MEASUREMENT INFORMATION

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Oct 20, 2023
Examiner
NGUYEN, THUONG
Art Unit
2416
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
68%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4y 3m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 68% — above average
68%
Career Allow Rate
446 granted / 654 resolved
+10.2% vs TC avg
Strong +32% interview lift
Without
With
+32.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 3m
Avg Prosecution
65 currently pending
Career history
719
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
16.3%
-23.7% vs TC avg
§103
49.5%
+9.5% vs TC avg
§102
15.2%
-24.8% vs TC avg
§112
14.6%
-25.4% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 654 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
DETAILED ACTION The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . 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. This communication is responsive to the Election made for a Restriction Requirement mailed 10/725. The Election was made on 12/8/25. Applicants have elected, without traverse, to examine group I consisting of claims 1-13 & 23-26. Claims 14-22 & 27-30 are withdrawn from consideration. Claim(s) 1-13 & 23-26 are presented for examination. Claim Objections Claim(s) 1-13 & 23-26 is/are unclear to the examiner; what does it mean by stating “obtaining a set of attributes associated with a radio frequency for sensing (RF-S) calibration target”? The claim languages are not clear what are the “attribute” the system is looking for? What information being “associated with the radio frequency”? Please clarify Claim(s) 1-13 & 23-26 is/are unclear to the examiner; what does it mean by stating “determining a set of RF-S calibration compensations based on the measurement information and the set of attributes”? The claim languages are not very clear what are the “RF-S calibration compensate for”? to make up for the different of the RF-S? Or to do what? Please clarify Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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. Claim(s) 1-4, 8-13 & 27, 29-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Liang, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2025/0119883 A1. As to claim 1, Liang teaches a method of operating a communications device, comprising: obtaining a set of attributes associated with a radio frequency for sensing (RF-S) calibration target (Liang, figure 2; page 4, paragraph 53; i.e., [0053] During a process of receiving a signal, if the radio frequency module of the sensing device may perform the waveform adjusting on a received sensing signal, a waveform adjustment parameter directly affects a range of amplitude of an output signal, and the waveform adjustment parameter may be adjusted adaptively according to different signals. If different waveform adjustment parameters are used to perform waveform adjusting on a same sensing signal, obtained channel state information will be different when the channel state information is estimated based on the sensing signal. Further, using the channel state information estimated by the sensing signal adjusted by different waveform adjustment parameters to determine a sensing result may affect the accuracy of the sensing result); obtaining measurement information associated with a RF-S calibration procedure between a first set of wireless sensing nodes and the RF-S calibration target (Liang, figure 2; page 4, paragraph 53; i.e., [0053] During a process of receiving a signal, if the radio frequency module of the sensing device may perform the waveform adjusting on a received sensing signal, a waveform adjustment parameter directly affects a range of amplitude of an output signal, and the waveform adjustment parameter may be adjusted adaptively according to different signals. If different waveform adjustment parameters are used to perform waveform adjusting on a same sensing signal, obtained channel state information will be different when the channel state information is estimated based on the sensing signal. Further, using the channel state information estimated by the sensing signal adjusted by different waveform adjustment parameters to determine a sensing result may affect the accuracy of the sensing result); and determining a set of RF-S calibration compensations based on the measurement information and the set of attributes (Liang, figure 2; page 4, paragraph 53 & 73; page 5, paragraph 74-75; i.e., [0053] During a process of receiving a signal, if the radio frequency module of the sensing device may perform the waveform adjusting on a received sensing signal, a waveform adjustment parameter directly affects a range of amplitude of an output signal, and the waveform adjustment parameter may be adjusted adaptively according to different signals. If different waveform adjustment parameters are used to perform waveform adjusting on a same sensing signal, obtained channel state information will be different when the channel state information is estimated based on the sensing signal. Further, using the channel state information estimated by the sensing signal adjusted by different waveform adjustment parameters to determine a sensing result may affect the accuracy of the sensing result; [0073] performing waveform adjusting on the sensing signal by adopting a second waveform adjustment parameter). As to claim 2, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communications device corresponds to a network component or a first wireless sensing node from the set of wireless sensing nodes or a second wireless sensing node that does not belong to the set of wireless sensing nodes (Liang, figure 2). As to claim 3, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first set of wireless sensing nodes comprises one or more user equipment (UEs), one or more wireless network components, or a combination thereof (Liang, figure 2). As to claim 4, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein transmitting the set of RF-S calibration compensations to a second set of wireless sensing nodes (Liang, figure 2; page 1, paragraph 6; i.e., [0006] performing waveform adjusting on the sensing signal by adopting a waveform adjustment parameter). As to claim 8, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of RF-S calibration compensations is further based on at least one location of at least one wireless sensing node from the first set of wireless sensing nodes (Liang, figure 2; page 3, paragraph 48; i.e., [0048] detect a parameter of a physical environment, so as to achieve environmental sensing, such as target positioning, motion recognition). As to claim 9, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one attribute from the set of attributes is associated with a validity period that designates when the at least one attribute is permitted for RF-S calibration compensation determinations (Liang, figure 2; page 5, paragraph 100; i.e., [0100] a period of the at least one time window). As to claim 10, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of attributes is received via assistance data, or wherein the set of attributes is received via assistance information signaling, or wherein the set of attributes is received via broadcast, or any combination thereof (Liang, figure 2). As to claim 11, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: transmitting a RF-S calibration target attribute request, wherein the set of attributes is received in response to the RF-S calibration target attribute request (Liang, figure 2). As to claim 12, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of attributes is obtained in association with a capability exchange of a registration procedure of the RF-S calibration target with the communications device (Liang, figure 2; page 3, paragraph 48; i.e., [0048] detect a parameter of a physical environment, so as to achieve environmental sensing, such as target positioning, motion recognition). As to claim 13, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1, wherein the RF-S calibration procedure is monostatic and the first set of wireless sensing nodes comprises a single wireless sensing node, or wherein the RF-S calibration procedure is bistatic and the first set of wireless sensing nodes comprises multiple wireless sensing nodes (Liang, figure 2). Claim(s) 27, 28-30 is/are directed to a device claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 14, 7-9. Therefore, claim(s) 27, 28-30 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 14, 7-9. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. Claim(s) 5-7 & 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liang, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2025/0119883 A1 in view of Hur, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 2007/0019604 A1. As to claim 5, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 4. But Liang failed to teach the claim limitation wherein the first set of wireless sensing nodes and the second set of wireless sensing nodes overlap at least in part. However, Hur teaches the limitation wherein the first set of wireless sensing nodes and the second set of wireless sensing nodes overlap at least in part (Hur, page 1, paragraph 12-14; i.e., [0014] the sensor nodes existing in the non-overlapping area, and the sensor nodes existing in the overlapping area in a third section, and the G W transfers the beacon and the query received from the CH to a neighboring). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Liang to substitute cluster-based hierarchy structure from Hur for multiplex hardware structure from Liang to preventing interferences between neighboring clusters, without using different frequency channels or spread codes for each cluster (Hur, page 1, paragraph 11). As to claim 6, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 4. But Liang failed to teach the claim limitation wherein the first set of wireless sensing nodes and the second set of wireless sensing nodes are non-overlapping. However, Hur teaches the limitation wherein the first set of wireless sensing nodes and the second set of wireless sensing nodes are non-overlapping (Liang, figure 2; page 4, paragraph 53; i.e., [0053] During a process of receiving a signal, if the radio frequency module of the sensing device may perform the waveform adjusting on a received sensing signal, a waveform adjustment parameter directly affects a range of amplitude of an output signal, and the waveform adjustment parameter may be adjusted adaptively according to different signals. If different waveform adjustment parameters are used to perform waveform adjusting on a same sensing signal, obtained channel state information will be different when the channel state information is estimated based on the sensing signal. Further, using the channel state information estimated by the sensing signal adjusted by different waveform adjustment parameters to determine a sensing result may affect the accuracy of the sensing result). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Liang to substitute cluster-based hierarchy structure from Hur for multiplex hardware structure from Liang to preventing interferences between neighboring clusters, without using different frequency channels or spread codes for each cluster (Hur, page 1, paragraph 11). As to claim 7, Liang teaches the method as recited in claim 1. But Liang failed to teach the claim limitation wherein the set of attributes comprises: a location of the RF-S calibration target, or a shape of the RF-S calibration target, or a size of the RF-S calibration target, or a material composition of an external surface of the RF-S calibration target, or an orientation of the RF-S calibration target, or a mobility status of the RF-S calibration target, or a speed of the RF-S calibration target, or a trajectory of the RF-S calibration target, or timing error information associated with a transmitter of the RF-S calibration procedure, or any combination thereof. However, Hur teaches the limitation wherein the set of attributes comprises: a location of the RF-S calibration target, or a shape of the RF-S calibration target, or a size of the RF-S calibration target, or a material composition of an external surface of the RF-S calibration target, or an orientation of the RF-S calibration target, or a mobility status of the RF-S calibration target, or a speed of the RF-S calibration target, or a trajectory of the RF-S calibration target, or timing error information associated with a transmitter of the RF-S calibration procedure, or any combination thereof (Hur, figure 9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to modify Liang to substitute cluster-based hierarchy structure from Hur for multiplex hardware structure from Liang to preventing interferences between neighboring clusters, without using different frequency channels or spread codes for each cluster (Hur, page 1, paragraph 11). Claim(s) 27, 28-30 is/are directed to a device claims and they do not teach or further define over the limitations recited in claim(s) 14, 7-9. Therefore, claim(s) 27, 28-30 is/are also rejected for similar reasons set forth in claim(s) 14, 7-9. Listing of Relevant Arts Gilson, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20220107277 A1 discloses radio frequency sensing, measurement signal. Alwood, U.S. Patent/Pub. No. US 20210208232 A1 discloses measurement rate radio frequency sensing, calculation. Contact Information The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions. THUONG NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Noel Beharry can be reached on 571-270-5630. 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. /THUONG NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 20, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §102, §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
68%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+32.1%)
4y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 654 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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