Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/495,199

DOWNLINK CONTROL INFORMATION DESIGN FOR MULTI-COMPONENT CARRIER SCHEDULING

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Oct 26, 2023
Priority
Apr 10, 2020 — provisional 63/008,437 +1 more
Examiner
OH, ANDREW CHUNG SUK
Art Unit
2466
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
6 (Final)
70%
Grant Probability
Favorable
7-8
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
84%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 70% — above average
70%
Career Allowance Rate
393 granted / 563 resolved
+11.8% vs TC avg
Moderate +14% lift
Without
With
+14.5%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 6m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
589
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.1%
-34.9% vs TC avg
§103
60.5%
+20.5% vs TC avg
§102
14.2%
-25.8% vs TC avg
§112
11.2%
-28.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 563 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Terms Carrier aggregation configuration [0004, 5, 60, 71, 117] For example, a base station 105 and a UE 115 may communicate according to a carrier aggregation configuration, such that a first CC of the carrier aggregation configuration is used to communicate with a PCell 405 and a second CC of the carrier aggregation configuration is used to communicate with an SCell 410. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 18, 19 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action. Independent Claims Claim(s) 1, 18, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (WO-2021140675-A1) in view of Yi (US-20230199797). As to claim 1: Harada teaches a method for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE), comprising: connecting to a network entity over a first component carrier and a second component carrier according to a carrier aggregation configuration (an upper limit on the size of a single DCI used when scheduling PDSCHs for multiple cells may be set. In the above example, it is assumed that PDSCH of a plurality of cells is scheduled with a single DCI, but the number of DCIs is not limited to this example and may be, for example, two or more. .. Further, scheduling to a plurality of cells means, for example, when CA including component carriers (CC) # 1, CC # 2, and CC # 3 is performed); … , and the second field comprising a rate matching indication for the first component carrier and the second component carrier (For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the DCI transmitted from the base station 20 via the PDCCH of CC # 1 schedules the transmission of PDSCHs of CC # 2 and CC # 3 to the terminal 10), wherein the rate matching indication comprises an indication of a rate matching resource group configured for the first component carrier of the carrier aggregation configuration and an indication that the second component carrier is not configured with a corresponding rate matching resource group (fig.3: rate match pattern group for various component carriers being on or off); determining a first rate matching resource for the first component carrier based at least in part on the rate matching indication (abstract and a control unit which, on the basis of rate matching configuration information included in the scheduling information, sets the rate matching configuration in the one or more second component carriers); and communicating with the network entity according to the carrier aggregation configuration based at least in part on the downlink control information comprising the rate matching indication (abstract terminal communicates according to the component carriers making up the carrier aggregation). Harada may not explicitly teach receiving downlink control information comprising a first field and a second field, the first field comprising a first subfield and a second subfield in accordance with a format of the downlink control information, the first subfield comprising a first bit value corresponding to a first downlink channel configuration for the first component carrier and the second subfield comprising a second bit value corresponding to a second downlink channel configuration for the second component carrier. However, Yi receiving downlink control information comprising a first field and a second field, the first field comprising a first subfield and a second subfield in accordance with a format of the downlink control information ([248, 0278-280] multi-carrier / multi-cell DCI format with one or more first DCI fields and second DCI fields), the first subfield comprising a first bit value corresponding to a first downlink channel configuration for the first component carrier and the second subfield comprising a second bit value corresponding to a second downlink channel configuration for the second component carrier ([0272-276] when the M-DCI indicates the first cell and the second cell, the wireless device may determine a first NDI field or a first NDI bit corresponding to the first cell being set to a predetermined value and a second NDI field or a second NDI bit corresponding to the second cell being set to a predetermined value). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement DCI bitmap CC fields, taught by Yi, into the DCI, taught by Harada, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and enable cross carrier scheduling and carrier aggregation. In addition, it would have been obvious to combine Harada and Yi in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references. Dependent Claims Claim(s) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harada (WO-2021140675-A1), Yi (US-20230199797). As to claim 2, 10: Harada teaches the UE of claim 1, 9, wherein the first rate matching resource is included in a plurality of common rate matching resources for the first component carrier based at least in part on the rate matching indication (fig.3, The DCI format 1_1, for example, Carrier indicator, Bandwidth-part indicator, Frequency-domain resource allocation, Time-domain resource allocation, VRB-to-PRB mapping, PRB bundling size indicator, Rate matching indicator, Zero-power CSI-RS trigger Etc. can be included as resource information). As to claim 3, 11, 19: Harada teaches the UE of claim 2, 10, 18, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive, from the network entity, an indication of the plurality of common rate matching resources via radio resource control signaling (The notification of information is not limited to the mode / embodiment described in the present specification, and may be performed by other methods. For example, information notification includes physical layer signaling (for example, DCI (Broadcast Control Information), UCI (Uplink Control Information)), higher layer signaling (for example, RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling, MAC (Medium Access) Signaling). Broadcast information (MIB (Master Information Block), SIB (System Information Block)), other signals or a combination thereof may be used. RRC signaling may be referred to as an RRC message, for example, RRC. It may be a connection setup (RRC Signaling Setup) message, an RRC connection reconfiguration (RRC Signaling Configuration) message, or the like.). As to claim 4, 13: Harada teaches the UE of claim 1, 9, wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: refrain from performing a rate matching procedure for the second component carrier based at least in part on the indication that the second component carrier is not configured with the corresponding rate matching resource group (fig.3: rate match pattern group for various component carriers being on or off). As to claim 5, 14, 20: Harada teaches the UE of claim 1, 9, 18, wherein the downlink control information comprises a zero power reference signal indication for the first component carrier and the second component carrier (Note that the above-mentioned Proposal 1 to Proposal 6 may be applied to the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field of DCI format 1_1. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the DCI transmitted from the base station 20 via the PDCCH of CC # 1 schedules the transmission of PDSCHs of CC # 2 and CC # 3 to the terminal 10. To do. Further, for example, if only one ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet is set in CC # 2, and two aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet are set for CC # 3. Suppose. In this case, in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field of DCI, in addition to the 1 bit indicating whether or not to set the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS in CC # 2, the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in CC # 3. A total of 3 bits, 2 bits indicating whether or not to do so, may be included. The terminal 10 that has received the DCI via the PDCCH of the CC # 1 indicates whether or not the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in the CC # 2 included in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field included in the DCI. Based on the bit value, CC # 2 receives aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS, and aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in CC # 3 included in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field. Aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS may be received in CC # 3 based on a 2-bit value indicating whether or not. Further, for example, the Rate matching indicator field in Proposal 1-2, 1-3, and 2-1 may be replaced with the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field). As to claim 6, 15: Harada teaches the UE of claim 5, 14, wherein a zero power reference signal configuration for the first component carrier and the second component carrier is based at least in part on the zero power reference signal indication (Note that the above-mentioned Proposal 1 to Proposal 6 may be applied to the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field of DCI format 1_1. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 2, it is assumed that the DCI transmitted from the base station 20 via the PDCCH of CC # 1 schedules the transmission of PDSCHs of CC # 2 and CC # 3 to the terminal 10. To do. Further, for example, if only one ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet is set in CC # 2, and two aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet are set for CC # 3. Suppose. In this case, in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field of DCI, in addition to the 1 bit indicating whether or not to set the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS in CC # 2, the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in CC # 3. A total of 3 bits, 2 bits indicating whether or not to do so, may be included. The terminal 10 that has received the DCI via the PDCCH of the CC # 1 indicates whether or not the aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in the CC # 2 included in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field included in the DCI. Based on the bit value, CC # 2 receives aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS, and aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS is set in CC # 3 included in the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field. Aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS may be received in CC # 3 based on a 2-bit value indicating whether or not. Further, for example, the Rate matching indicator field in Proposal 1-2, 1-3, and 2-1 may be replaced with the ZP-CSI-RS trigger field.). As to claim 7, 16: Harada teaches the UE of claim 5, 14, wherein a resource set for the zero power reference signal indication is based at least in part on the zero power reference signal indication, wherein the resource set is used for the first component carrier and the second component carrier (Further, for example, if only one ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet is set in CC # 2, and two aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet are set for CC # 3). As to claim 8, 17: Harada teaches the UE of claim 5, 14, wherein a component carrier of the carrier aggregation configuration is not configured with a zero power reference signal resource set based at least in part on the zero power reference signal indication (fig.3, Further, for example, if only one ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet is set in CC # 2, and two aperiodic ZP-CSI-RS-ResourceSet are set for CC # 3). Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over in view of Harada (WO-2021140675-A1), Yi (US-20230199797) in view of Zhang (CN-110475261-A). As to claim 12: Harada teaches the UE of claim 10. Harada may not explicitly teach wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive, from the network entity, a trigger field for a dynamic rate matching of one of the plurality of common rate matching resources for the first component carrier via the downlink control information. However, Zhang teaches wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further operable to execute the code to cause the UE to: receive, from the network entity, a trigger field for a dynamic rate matching of one of the plurality of common rate matching resources for the first component carrier via the downlink control information (DCI dynamic rate matching). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement dynamic rate matching, taught by Zhang, into the communication system, taught by Harada, in order to implement a well-known feature of a pre-defined protocol and to allow network to efficiently allocate resources based on channel conditions. In addition, it would have been obvious to combine Zhang and Harada in a known manner to obtain predictable results as the combination would not change the essence, quiddity, or functionality of the prior art references. Conclusion 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 ANDREW CHUNG SUK OH whose telephone number is (571)270-5273. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12p-8p. 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, Faruk Hamza can be reached at 5712727969. 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. /ANDREW C OH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466
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Prosecution Timeline

Show 8 earlier events
Sep 24, 2025
Response Filed
Oct 23, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Dec 22, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Jan 23, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Jan 29, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Mar 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jun 25, 2026
Response Filed
Aug 17, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (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

7-8
Expected OA Rounds
70%
Grant Probability
84%
With Interview (+14.5%)
3y 6m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 563 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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