Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/568,592

CHANNEL STATE INFORMATION REPORTING

Final Rejection §103
Filed
Dec 08, 2023
Priority
Jun 16, 2021 — nonprovisional of PCTCN2021100435
Examiner
LI, GUANG W
Art Unit
2478
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
NEC Corporation
OA Round
2 (Final)
78%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 78% — above average
78%
Career Allowance Rate
501 granted / 642 resolved
+20.0% vs TC avg
Strong +24% interview lift
Without
With
+24.1%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 4m
Avg Prosecution
22 currently pending
Career history
675
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
79.9%
+39.9% vs TC avg
§102
14.0%
-26.0% vs TC avg
§112
2.7%
-37.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 642 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
DETAILED ACTION It is hereby acknowledged that the following papers have been received and placed of record in the file: Amendment date 04/01/2026. Claims 24, 26-28, 30-32 and 34-35 are presented for examination. Response to Arguments Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 24, 26-28, 30-32 and 34-35 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection. Claim Objections Claim 24, 28 and 32 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 24 line 2 recites “index value of m” does not define what value of “m” because m can includes fractional/decimal and negative number. Examiner suggest applicant define the value of m is a positive integer. Similar issue exists in claim 28 and 32. Appropriate correction is required. 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. Claim(s) 24, 26-28, 30-32 and 34-35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2024/0267174 A1) in view of Rahman et al. (US 2021/0281306 A1). Regarding claim 24, Liu teaches a method of communication performed by a terminal device, the method comprising: receiving, from a network device, information configuring a first channel measurement resource set and a second channel measurement resource set (receiving a configuration of one or two CMR sets for channel measurement see Liu: Fig.3 step 302; ¶[0074-0075]); transmitting, to the network device, a channel state information (CSI) report comprising a field of a first indicator with a value of either 0 or 1 (transmitting CSI report comprising CRSI field either equal to 0 or 1 “transmitting a CSI report including N pairs of CRIs or SSBRIs and the measured L1-RSRP value of the resource indicated by each of the N pairs of CRIs or SSBRIs” see Liu: Fig.3 step 304; ¶[0075]; Fig.1 CRSI= 0 or 1; ¶[0052]) and a field of a first resource indicator (CRSI=0 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1 “the CSI report includes a 1-bit CRSI indicating whether CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1 or from NZP CSI-RS resource set #2. CRSI=0 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1; while CRSI=1 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #2” see ¶[0052]; Fig.1); wherein; the first indicator indicates one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which a first resource indicator is reported (first indicator CRSI=0 indicates first channel measurement resource CSI report 1 and CSI report 3 and CRSI=1 indicates second channel measurement resource CSI report 2 and CSI report 4 and NZP CSI-RS resource Set #1 and #2 see Liu: Fig.1; ¶[0052]), the first resource indicator is one of a plurality of resource indicators of a first resource group (CRSI=0 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1 “the CSI report includes a 1-bit CRSI indicating whether CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1 or from NZP CSI-RS resource set #2. CRSI=0 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #1; while CRSI=1 indicates that CRI #1 indicates an NZP CSI-RS resource from NZP CSI-RS resource set #2” see ¶[0052]; Fig.1), the first resource group is one of a plurality of resource groups (NZP CSI-RS resource group set #1 is one of two CSI resource set group see Liu: Fig.1; ¶[0052-0053]). Liu does not explicitly teaches the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported, is different to one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which another one of the plurality of resource indicators of the first resource group is reported, each of the plurality of resource groups comprises resource indicators starting with index value m, and remaining resource groups other than the first resource group follow a same mapping order as the first resource group, where a resource indicator, with the index value m, of each of the remaining resource groups is reported from the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported. However, Rahman teaches the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported, is different to one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which another one of the plurality of resource indicators of the first resource group is reported (first data frame/subframe for slice 1 930a-b and second data frame for slice 2 970a-970c see Rahman: Fig.9; ¶[0229]; ¶[0244-0250]), each of the plurality of resource groups comprises resource indicators starting with index value m and remaining resource groups other than the first resource group follow a same mapping order as the first resource group (UCI1 includes the CSI 1 and UCI indicator for indicating a number of information bits for the UCI2 and payload of UCI1 transmission and bandwidth mapping see Rahman: ¶[0246]; ¶[0212-0215]), where a resource indicator, with the index value m, of each of the remaining resource groups is reported from the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported (UCI part 1 and UCI part 2 remainder CSI report carry remaining CSI reports “The UCI carrying the CSI for multiple (Ng) gNBs/TRPs can be divided (partitioned) into two parts: part 1 and part 2, where UCI part 1 carries a subset of the CSI reports for multiple gNBs/TRPs (i.e., CSI part 1), and the UCI part 2 carries the remaining CSI reports for multiple gNBs/TRPs (i.e. CSI part 2)” see Rahman: ¶[0185-0192]) in order to select appropriate communication parameters to efficient perform wireless data communication with the UE (see Rahman: ¶[0003]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to create the invention of Liu to include (or to use, etc.) the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported, is different to one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which another one of the plurality of resource indicators of the first resource group is reported, each of the plurality of resource groups comprises resource indicators starting with index value m, and remaining resource groups other than the first resource group follow a same mapping order as the first resource group, where a resource indicator, with the index value m, of each of the remaining resource groups is reported from the one of the first channel measurement resource set or the second channel measurement resource set from which the first resource indicator is reported as taught by Rahman in order to select appropriate communication parameters to efficient perform wireless data communication with the UE (see Rahman: ¶[0003]). Regarding claim 26, the modified Liu taught the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Liu further teaches wherein the first resource indicator corresponds to a largest measured value of reference signal received power (RSRP) (largest L1-RSRP value “The NZP CSI-RS resource indicated by CRI #1 has the largest measured L1-RSRP value, which is quantized to a 7-bit value in the range [−140, −44] dBm with a step size of 1 dB” see Liu: ¶[0072]). Regarding claim 27, the modified Liu taught the method of claim 26 as described hereinabove. Liu further teaches wherein the largest measured value of RSRP is quantized to a 7-bit value (“The NZP CSI-RS resource indicated by CRI #1 has the largest measured L1-RSRP value, which is quantized to a 7-bit value in the range [−140, −44] dBm with a step size of 1 dB” see Liu: ¶[0072]). Regarding claim 28, claim 28 is rejected for the same reason as claim 24 as set forth hereinabove. Claim 28 recites a method of communication performed by a network device instead of the terminal device that perform the same functionalities in the vice versa direction. Regarding claim 30, claim 30 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove. Regarding claim 31, claim 31 is rejected for the same reason as claim 27 as set forth hereinabove. Regarding claim 32, claim 32 is rejected for the same reason as claim 24 as set forth hereinabove. Claim 32 recites a terminal device that perform the same functionalities as the method of claim 24 as described hereinabove. Regarding claim 34, claim 34 is rejected for the same reason as claim 26 as set forth hereinabove. Regarding claim 35, claim 35 is rejected for the same reason as claim 27 as set forth hereinabove. 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 GUANG W LI whose telephone number is (571)270-1897. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 7AM-5PMET. 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, Joseph Avellino can be reached at (571) 272-3905. 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. GUANG W. LI Primary Examiner Art Unit 2478 June 13, 2026 /GUANG W LI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478
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Prosecution Timeline

Dec 08, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 05, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Apr 01, 2026
Response Filed
Jun 17, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103 (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

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
78%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+24.1%)
3y 4m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 642 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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