Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/491,435

ENHANCED PRIVACY FOR PRIORITY ACCESS IN WIRELESS SYSTEMS

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Oct 20, 2023
Examiner
BETTENDORF, SAMUEL ROBERGE
Art Unit
2414
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
2 (Final)
100%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 100% — above average
100%
Career Allow Rate
11 granted / 11 resolved
+42.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +0% lift
Without
With
+0.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
23 currently pending
Career history
34
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
80.3%
+40.3% vs TC avg
§102
9.8%
-30.2% vs TC avg
§112
9.0%
-31.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 11 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Priority Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for domestic priority. The provisional application number 63/382422 was filed on 4 November 2022 AD. Response to Arguments and Amendments Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks pages 8-11, filed 22 January 2026, with respect to claims 1-4, 6-14, 16-24, and 26-30 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1, 2, 7-9, 11, 12, 17-19, 21, 22, and 27-29 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) have been withdrawn. The rejection of claims 3, 4, 6, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 23, 24, 26, and 30 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in further view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou for claims 1, 2, 7-9, 11, 12, 17-19, 21, 22, and 27-29. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in further view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou in further view of Tsai (US 2012/0088495 A1) for claims 3, 4, 13, 14, 23, and 24. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in further view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou in further view of Wallentin (US 2021/0007041 A1) or Wallentin for claims 6, 10, 16, 20, 26, and 30. John teaches transmitting a first radio resource control or RRC message with a first establishment cause value indicating the user equipment or UE fails to possess priority access, determining priority may be used by the UE, transmitting a second RRC message including a second establishment cause value indicating the UE has priority access, and accessing a wireless network using the priority access. However, John fails to explicitly teach determining the priority access may be used based on a request to use priority access received by a user interface and transmitting the second RRC message based on the response to the request to use priority access. Wallentin teaches priority access teaches first and second establishment cause values to elevate the priority access of the UE. However, Wallentin fails to explicitly teach determining the priority access may be used based on a request to use priority access received by a user interface and transmitting the second RRC message based on the response to the request to use priority access. Tsai teaches an indication of network congesting comprising a message received from the wireless network and the message indicating the network is congested and the indication of network congesting consisting of no response to first transmitted RRC message by the UE. However, Tsai fails to explicitly teach determining the priority access may be used based on a request to use priority access received by a user interface and transmitting the second RRC message based on the response to the request to use priority access. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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, 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. Claims 1, 2, 7-9, 11, 12, 17-19, 21, 22, and 27-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou. Claim 1 (Currently Amended) John teaches, An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: at least one memory comprising instructions; and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to: (See John paragraph 0054, Memory 430 may include any type of dynamic storage device that may store information and/or instructions, for execution by processor 420, and/or any type of non-volatile storage device that may store information for use by processor 420.) transmit a first radio resource control (RRC) message, the first RRC message including a first establishment cause value indicating that the apparatus does not have priority access; (See John paragraph 0060, If UE device 110-2 determines paging messages does not have a paging priority indicator (block 510—no), UE device 110-2 may perform a normal RRC procedure (block 515). For example, UE device 110-2 may respond to the paging message by submitting a RRC connection request as a non-HPA subscriber.) Shows the transmission of a RRC message with no priority access as non- high priority access or HPA subscriber by UE device 110-2 (See John paragraph 0088, UE device 110-1 may be attached to network with RRC establishment cause HPA, and UE device 110-2 may be attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause...) Shows UE device 110-2 device attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause indicating no priority access determine that priority access may be used by the apparatus;… (See John paragraph 0061, Alternatively, if UE device 110-2 determines the paging message includes a paging priority indicator (block 510—yes), UE device 110-2 may modify the access class or access identity (block 520).) …the second RRC message including a second establishment cause value indicating that the apparatus has priority access; and (See John paragraph 0062, UE device 110-2 may then send a RRC connection request with elevated priority to RAN 115 (block 525). For example, UE device 110-2 may generate and send a RRC connection request to base station 120. The RRC connection request may include the elevated status indicator (e.g., for HPA status).) access a wireless network using the priority access. (See John paragraph 0063, Base station 120 may receive the RRC connection request with the HPA status, admit UE device 110-2, and temporally elevate UE device 110-2 to elevated priority status (e.g., HPA) prior to establishing a call session.) However, John fails to explicitly teach, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; transmit, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… Nevertheless, Zhou, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; (See Zhou page 8 paragraph 5, ...the user can be adjusted according to the actual need to select the implementation, and setting corresponding options in the UE interface priority access cell indication information by the UE interface operation to set the policy of priority access cell, the UE according to the user interface setting result to determine and set the priority access cell indication parameter value of the information cell, and reporting to the network side. In this way, the user according to own preference and needs to set the desired priority access type of the cell.) transmit, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… (See Zhou page 7 paragraph 11, Specifically, a UE in unlicensed spectrum access capability can by expanding an existing RRC message or a newly added RRC message carries cell priority access cell indication information, sending the information to the network side.) Shows the user equipment or UE sending the priority access indication to the base station by an RRC message Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling data of the claimed invention to combine the method of transmitting a first RRC message indicating no priority access, transmitting a second RRC message with priority access, and accessing a wireless network as disclosed by John with determining the priority access based on a request to use priority access received by a user interface and transmitting a response to the request to use priority access with a second RRC message as disclosed by Zhou to increase the user-friendless of the system (i.e. to increase the amount of control by the user to instigate a priority access request). Claim 2 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine that priority access may be used based on an indication of network congestion. (See John paragraph 0065, Upon receiving the paging message (608), eNB 220/gNB 310 may detect RAN congestion (610), and identify the paging message as having a high priority status (612). ENB 220/gNB 310 may send a paging message, along with a paging priority, via RAN 115, to UE device 110-2 (614).) The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 7 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the stored priority access configuration information is stored on one of a universal subscriber identity module, or the at least one memory. (See John paragraph 0061, According to an implementation, UE device 110-2 may update a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) ACC to AI 1, 2 or 11-15 (for 5G) or AC 11-15 (for 4G).) The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 8 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive a message including priority access configuration information; and cause the priority access configuration information to be stored in the at least one memory. (See John paragraph 0061, ...upon reception of the priority paging message, the UE device 110-2 may update the Access Control Class (ACC) Elementary File (EF) defined from the current AI/AC to a corresponding determined AI/AC value based on the paging priority indicator to transition into a “Public Safety mode” or “PS mode.”) The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 9 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first RRC message and the second RRC message comprises RRC Connection Request messages. (See John paragraph 0060, If UE device 110-2 determines paging messages does not have a paging priority indicator (block 510—no), UE device 110-2 may perform a normal RRC procedure (block 515). For example, UE device 110-2 may respond to the paging message by submitting a RRC connection request as a non-HPA subscriber.) Shows the first RRC message as a RRC Connection Request (See John paragraph 0062, UE device 110-2 may then send a RRC connection request with elevated priority to RAN 115 (block 525). For example, UE device 110-2 may generate and send a RRC connection request to base station 120. The RRC connection request may include the elevated status indicator (e.g., for HPA status).) Shows the second RRC message as a RRC Connection Request The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 11 (Currently Amended) John teaches, A method for wireless communications, comprising: transmitting a first radio resource control (RRC) message, the first RRC message including a first establishment cause value indicating that an apparatus does not have priority access; (See John paragraph 0060, If UE device 110-2 determines paging messages does not have a paging priority indicator (block 510—no), UE device 110-2 may perform a normal RRC procedure (block 515). For example, UE device 110-2 may respond to the paging message by submitting a RRC connection request as a non-HPA subscriber.) Shows the transmission of a RRC message with no priority access as non- high priority access or HPA subscriber by UE device 110-2 (See John paragraph 0088, UE device 110-1 may be attached to network with RRC establishment cause HPA, and UE device 110-2 may be attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause...) Shows UE device 110-2 device attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause indicating no priority access determining that priority access may be used by the apparatus;… (See John paragraph 0061, Alternatively, if UE device 110-2 determines the paging message includes a paging priority indicator (block 510—yes), UE device 110-2 may modify the access class or access identity (block 520).) …the second RRC message including a second establishment cause value indicating that the apparatus has priority access; and (See John paragraph 0062, UE device 110-2 may then send a RRC connection request with elevated priority to RAN 115 (block 525). For example, UE device 110-2 may generate and send a RRC connection request to base station 120. The RRC connection request may include the elevated status indicator (e.g., for HPA status).) accessing a wireless network using the priority access. (See John paragraph 0063, Base station 120 may receive the RRC connection request with the HPA status, admit UE device 110-2, and temporally elevate UE device 110-2 to elevated priority status (e.g., HPA) prior to establishing a call session.) However, John fails to explicitly teach, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; transmitting, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… Nevertheless, Zhou, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; (See Zhou page 8 paragraph 5, ...the user can be adjusted according to the actual need to select the implementation, and setting corresponding options in the UE interface priority access cell indication information by the UE interface operation to set the policy of priority access cell, the UE according to the user interface setting result to determine and set the priority access cell indication parameter value of the information cell, and reporting to the network side. In this way, the user according to own preference and needs to set the desired priority access type of the cell.) transmitting, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… (See Zhou page 7 paragraph 11, Specifically, a UE in unlicensed spectrum access capability can by expanding an existing RRC message or a newly added RRC message carries cell priority access cell indication information, sending the information to the network side.) Shows the user equipment or UE sending the priority access indication to the base station by an RRC message The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 12 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 12 as stated in claim 2. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 17 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 17 as stated in claim 7. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 18 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 18 as stated in claim 8. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 19 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 19 as stated in claim 9. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 21 (Currently Amended) John teaches, A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: (See John paragraph 0056, Device 400 may perform these operations in response to processor 420 executing software instructions contained in a computer-readable medium, such as memory 430. The software instructions may be read into memory 430 from another computer-readable medium or from another device. The software instructions contained in memory 430 may cause processor 420 to perform processes...) transmit a first radio resource control (RRC) message, the first RRC message including a first establishment cause value indicating that an apparatus does not have priority access; (See John paragraph 0060, If UE device 110-2 determines paging messages does not have a paging priority indicator (block 510—no), UE device 110-2 may perform a normal RRC procedure (block 515). For example, UE device 110-2 may respond to the paging message by submitting a RRC connection request as a non-HPA subscriber.) Shows the transmission of a RRC message with no priority access as non- high priority access or HPA subscriber by UE device 110-2 (See John paragraph 0088, UE device 110-1 may be attached to network with RRC establishment cause HPA, and UE device 110-2 may be attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause...) Shows UE device 110-2 device attached to the network with a non-HPA establishment cause indicating no priority access determine that priority access may be used by the apparatus;… (See John paragraph 0061, Alternatively, if UE device 110-2 determines the paging message includes a paging priority indicator (block 510—yes), UE device 110-2 may modify the access class or access identity (block 520).) …the second RRC message including a second establishment cause value indicating that the apparatus has priority access; and (See John paragraph 0062, UE device 110-2 may then send a RRC connection request with elevated priority to RAN 115 (block 525). For example, UE device 110-2 may generate and send a RRC connection request to base station 120. The RRC connection request may include the elevated status indicator (e.g., for HPA status).) access a wireless network using the priority access. (See John paragraph 0063, Base station 120 may receive the RRC connection request with the HPA status, admit UE device 110-2, and temporally elevate UE device 110-2 to elevated priority status (e.g., HPA) prior to establishing a call session.) However, John fails to explicitly teach, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; transmit, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… Nevertheless, Zhou, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, …wherein the determination that priority access may be used is based on a request to use priority access received via a user interface; (See Zhou page 8 paragraph 5, ...the user can be adjusted according to the actual need to select the implementation, and setting corresponding options in the UE interface priority access cell indication information by the UE interface operation to set the policy of priority access cell, the UE according to the user interface setting result to determine and set the priority access cell indication parameter value of the information cell, and reporting to the network side. In this way, the user according to own preference and needs to set the desired priority access type of the cell.) transmit, in response to the request to use priority access, a second RRC message,… (See Zhou page 7 paragraph 11, Specifically, a UE in unlicensed spectrum access capability can by expanding an existing RRC message or a newly added RRC message carries cell priority access cell indication information, sending the information to the network side.) Shows the user equipment or UE sending the priority access indication to the base station by an RRC message The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 22 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 22 as stated in claim 2. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 27 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 27 as stated in claim 7. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 28 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 28 as stated in claim 8. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claim 29 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 29 as stated in claim 9. The motivation to combine John and Zhou in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 1. Claims 3, 4, 13, 14, 23, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou in further view of Tsai (US 2012/0088495 A1). Claim 3 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 3. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indication of network congestion comprises a message received from the wireless network, the message indicating that the wireless network is congested. (See Tsai paragraph 0025, The service network 320 further prepares an RRC CONNECTION REJECT message with a rejection cause indicating network congestion, and then transmits the RRC CONNECTION REJECT message to the mobile communication apparatus 310 (step S420).) Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling data of the claimed invention to combine the method of transmitting a first RRC message indicating no priority access, transmitting a second RRC message with priority access, and accessing a wireless network as disclosed by John with transmitting an indication of network congestion from the wireless network as disclosed by Tsai to increase the efficiency of the system (i.e. to reduce the probability of lost data during transmission). Claim 4 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 4. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the indication of network congestion comprises no response to the first RRC message. (See Tsai paragraph 0026, When receiving the RRC CONNECTION REQUEST message, the service network 320 tries to reply to the mobile communication apparatus 310 with an RRC CONNECTION REJECT message due to network congestion, but the delivery of the RRC CONNECTION REJECT message has failed. Since no response message has been received from the service network 320, the guard timer keeps counting and expires when T300 is reached.) The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Tsai in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 3. Claim 13 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 13. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 13 as stated in claim 3. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Tsai in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 3. Claim 14 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 14. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 14 as stated in claim 4. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Tsai in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 3. Claim 23 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 23. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 23 as stated in claim 3. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Tsai in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 3. Claim 24 (Original) John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 24. However, Tsai, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 24 as stated in claim 4. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Tsai in the dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 3. Claims 6, 10, 16, 20, 26, and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over John et al. (US 2022/0182872 A1) or John in view of Zhou et al. (CN 111182576 A) or Zhou in view of Wallentin (US 2021/0007041 A1) or Wallentin. Claim 6 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access stored priority access configuration information to determine a value for… (See John paragraph 0061, According to an implementation, UE device 110-2 may update a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) ACC to AI 1, 2 or 11-15 (for 5G) or AC 11-15 (for 4G).) Shows the updating of access class in the universal subscriber identity module or USIM However, John fails to explicitly teach, …the second establishment cause value. Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, …the second establishment cause value. (See Wallentin paragraph 0129, ...if the appropriate access category indicates “emergency” (e.g. value 2), and the access identity of value 1 is configured in the UE, the establishment cause value “High Priority Emergency” is used.) Shows upon establishment cause value updating from the access class or access identity updating Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling data of the claimed invention to combine the method of transmitting a first RRC message indicating no priority access, transmitting a second RRC message with priority access, and accessing a wireless network as disclosed by John with determining the priority access based upon user input from a user interface as disclosed by Wallentin to increase the efficiency of the system (i.e. to increase the accuracy of determining priority access). Claim 10 (Original) John teaches, The apparatus of claim 1,… …are determined based on configured access class identity values. (See John paragraph 0059, Since the terminating user (UE device 110-2) is a non-HPA subscriber, UE device 110-2 does not have the 5G Access Identity (AI) of 1-2, 11-15 or in 4G, the Special Access Class 11-15.) Shows the configured access class identity values for the first establishment cause value (See John paragraph 0061, ...upon reception of the priority paging message, the UE device 110-2 may update the Access Control Class (ACC) Elementary File (EF) defined from the current AI/AC to a corresponding determined AI/AC value based on the paging priority indicator to transition into a “Public Safety mode” or “PS mode.” According to an implementation, UE device 110-2 may update a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) ACC to AI 1, 2 or 11-15 (for 5G) or AC 11-15 (for 4G).) Shows the configured access class identity values for the second establishment cause value However, John fails to explicitly teach, …wherein the first establishment cause value and the second establishment cause value… Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches, …wherein the first establishment cause value and the second establishment cause value… (See Wallentin paragraph 0129, ...if the appropriate access category indicates “emergency” (e.g. value 2), and the access identity of value 1 is configured in the UE, the establishment cause value “High Priority Emergency” is used.) Shows upon establishment cause value updating from the access class or access identity updating The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Wallentin in dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 6. Claim 16 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. However, John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Wallentin in dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 6. Claim 20 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. However, John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Wallentin in dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 6. Claim 26 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. However, John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 16 as stated in claim 6. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Wallentin in dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 6. Claim 30 (Original) John teaches limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. However, John fails to explicitly teach limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. Nevertheless, Wallentin, in the same field of endeavor, teaches limitations of claim 20 as stated in claim 10. The motivation to combine John, Zhou, and Wallentin in dependent claim consists of the same motivation as stated in claim 6. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Fu et al. (US 20220015017 A1) or Fu teaches disconnecting with a Wi-Fi signal of lower strength and connects with a Wi-Fi signal of higher strength. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a). A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMUEL ROBERGE BETTENDORF whose telephone number is (571)272-4352. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 8:30a.m.-5:00p.m.. 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, Edan Orgad can be reached at 571-272-7884. 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. /SAMUEL ROBERGE BETTENDORF/ Examiner, Art Unit 2414 /SITHU KO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2414
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 20, 2023
Application Filed
Oct 20, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Jan 20, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Jan 20, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
Jan 22, 2026
Response Filed
Mar 19, 2026
Final Rejection — §103 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 4 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
100%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+0.0%)
2y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 11 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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