Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/592,694

METHOD, DEVICE AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Mar 01, 2024
Examiner
JAGANNATHAN, MELANIE
Art Unit
2468
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
ZTE CORPORATION
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 0m
To Grant
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allow Rate
659 granted / 762 resolved
+28.5% vs TC avg
Minimal +5% lift
Without
With
+5.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 0m
Avg Prosecution
25 currently pending
Career history
787
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
5.3%
-34.7% vs TC avg
§103
47.7%
+7.7% vs TC avg
§102
23.6%
-16.4% vs TC avg
§112
10.2%
-29.8% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 762 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 . Claims 1-20 are pending. 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 (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 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. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows: 1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art. 2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue. 3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art. 4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. Claim(s) 1, 4, 7, 9-10, 13, 15, 17, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu US 20250240606 in view of Li et al. US 20240310508. Regarding claim 1, A wireless communication method comprising receiving, by an access and mobility management node from a sensing network node a first message and one or more identifiers of one or more target access network nodes (AMF receives from a UE or an application function (AF) of the sensing service a sensing request including UE identification and base station identification, Figure 3, element 110, para. 0076, the UE identification and the base station identification carried in the sensing request may be an identification of a candidate UE and an identification of a candidate base station for providing the sensing service, para. 0081), transmitting, by the access and mobility management node to the target access network nodes, the first message according to the one or more identifiers of target access network nodes to request the target access network nodes to generate sensing data (the AMF, upon receiving the sensing request, may determine the target sensing function for providing the sensing parameter, and then send the sensing request including the UE identification and the base station identification to the target SF, such that the target SF may determine, based on the UE identification and the base station identification carried in the sensing request, to introduce the base station and the UE into the provision system of the sensing service to provide the sensing service, para. 0086, the SF may serve as one of the network elements of the core network and/or the access network, para. 0102), wherein the sensing data is transmitted to the sensing network node (sending the sensing data to an application function (AF) or an initiator of the sensing service or sending the sensing result to the AF or the initiator of the sensing service, para. 0277-0278). Liu does not explicitly disclose receiving, by the access and mobility management node from the sensing network node, a calculated result according to the sensing data. Li discloses a wireless sensing method and apparatus where a wireless sensing signal receiver acquires sensing demand information and/or sensing signal related configuration information corresponding to the sensing demand information and the wireless sensing signal receiver measures a sensing signal that is transmitted by a wireless sensing signal transmitter according to the sensing signal related configuration information, so as to acquire a target measurement quantity, the wireless sensing signal receiver determines a target sensing result according to the target measurement quantity, or transmits the target measurement quantity, para. 0010-0013. Li discloses UE B transmits the target measurement quantity to the AMF or or UE B transmits the target measurement quantity to the base station, and the base station transmits the target measurement quantity to the AMF and the AMF converts the target measurement quantity into the target sensing result, para. 0131-0132. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify Liu to include Li’s sensing method including the AMF receiving and converting sensing measurements to achieve a result. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so for richer and more flexible sensing schemes can be provided for the network, and more sensing functions can be realized, para. 0101. Regarding claim 4, The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to receive the sensing data and transmit the sensing data to the sensing network node; and wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to transmit the first message with a routing identifier of the sensing network node to the target access network nodes, receive the sensing data with the routing identifier, and transmit the sensing data to the sensing network node according to the routing identifier (a sensing service that is executed by an AMF, a sensing request is received, where the sensing request at least includes a UE identification and a base station identification, a target SF is determined, the sensing request is sent to the target SF, para. 0076-0078, the AMF, upon receiving the sensing request, may determine the target SF for providing the sensing parameter, and then send the sensing request including the UE identification and the base station identification to the target SF, such that the target SF may determine, based on the UE identification and the base station identification carried in the sensing request, to introduce the base station and the UE into the provision system of the sensing service to provide the sensing service, para. 0086, determining the target SF based on the sensing request may include: determining a sensing region where the UE is located based on the UE identification included in the sensing request, and selecting one or more candidate SFs from the sensing region as the target SF; determining the target SF based on SF information indicated by the sensing request, where the SF information includes, but is not limited to, an identification of the SF, para. 0174). Regarding claim 7, The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to transmit to the sensing network node at least one of a sensing quality of service (QoS) or one or more object types (one or more of the request parameters in the sensing request may also be used for the AMF to determine the target SF, the AMF selects, based on the position of the UE and/or the position of the sensing target indicated by the request parameter in the sensing request, the SF within a sensing region corresponding to the position of the UE and/or the position of the sensing target as the target service, the AMF selects, based on quality of service (QOS) of the sensing service indicated by the request parameter in the sensing request, para. 0151). Regarding claim 9, The wireless communication method of claim 1, wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to transmit the calculated result to a network exposure node or an application node (sending the sensing data to an application function (AF) or an initiator of the sensing service or sending the final sensing result to the AF or the initiator of the sensing service, para. 0277-0278). Claims 10, 13, 15, 17, 20 are rejected under the same rationale. Claim(s) 2, 11, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Li in view of Li US 20240236911 (hereinafter Li II) in view of Chong et al. US 20240205719. Regarding claim 2, The wireless communication method of claim 1, Liu discloses a IoT network with devices and the sensing parameter includes address information, the address information may be used to send the sensing data and/or the sensing result to a party that needs to receive the sensing data and/or the sensing result, para. 0252. Liu and Li do not explicitly disclose the sensing data is transmitted to the sensing network node via one or more tunnels between the sensing network node and each of the target access network nodes, and wherein the address information of the sensing network node comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address and an IP port. Li II discloses sending, by an access and mobility management function (AMF), first sensing device registration information to an SF, the first sensing device registration information being used for performing sensing device registration on a first sensing device, and the first sensing device including at least one of a sensing UE or a sensing RAN, para. 0009. Li II discloses the sensing UE sends the first sensing measurement result to the sensing RAN via the first sensing tunnel, the first sensing tunnel may be a sensing tunnel between the sensing UE and the sensing RAN, the sensing UE may send the above first sensing measurement result to the sensing RAN via the above first sensing tunnel, after the RAN receives the first sensing measurement result, the RAN may send the first sensing measurement result to the SF, para. 0099-0101. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify Liu and Li to include Li II’s sensing tunnel to send sensing measurement result. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so for wide broadband coverage range and robust infrastructures, para. 0004. Liu and Li and Li II does not disclose the address information of the sensing network node comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) address and an IP port. Chong discloses the sensing service includes at least one of the following: type information of the sensing service, identifier information of the sensing service (for example, a sensing service application ID); an internet protocol (IP)/non-IP address corresponding to a sensing service server; and port number information corresponding to the sensing service, para. 0225. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify the cited prior art to include Chong’s sensing service IP address and port number information. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so to reduce hardware deployment costs, para. 0004. Claim 11 and 18 rejected under the same rationale. Claim(s) 5-6, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Li in view of Ying et al. US 20240205817. Regarding claim 5, The wireless communication method of claim 1, Liu and Li do not disclose wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to receive a sensing request comprising a tracking area identity (TAI) list. Ying discloses the UE sends the first sensing service request message to the AMF, para. 0423, if information about a sensing capability of an SF network element is preconfigured in the AMF network element, the AMF network element may select the sensing network element based on the preconfigured sensing capability of the SF network element and the location information and/or a serving AMF ID of the UE, para. 0429, the location information of the UE may be the location information of the UE that is obtained by the AMF network element from the first sensing service request message, or TAI that is obtained by the AMF network element from the UE context, para. 0433. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify Liu and Li ton include Ying’s TAI information obtained by the AMF. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so since different network elements have corresponding sensing service scopes and there is a need to select the appropriate network element to support sensing, para. 0004-0005. Regarding claim 6, The wireless communication method of claim 1, Liu and Li do not disclose wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to select the sensing network node according to a tracking area identity (TAI) list and transmit the TAI list to the sensing network node. Ying discloses the UE sends the first sensing service request message to the AMF, para. 0423, if information about a sensing capability of an SF network element is preconfigured in the AMF network element, the AMF network element may select the sensing network element based on the preconfigured sensing capability of the SF network element and the location information and/or a serving AMF ID of the UE, para. 0429, the location information of the UE may be the location information of the UE that is obtained by the AMF network element from the first sensing service request message, or TAI that is obtained by the AMF network element from the UE context, para. 0433. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify Liu and Li ton include Ying’s TAI information obtained by the AMF. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so since different network elements have corresponding sensing service scopes and there is a need to select the appropriate network element to support sensing, para. 0004-0005. Claim 14 is rejected under the same rationale. Claim(s) 8, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu in view of Li in view of Beg et al. US 20200351692. Regarding claim 8, The wireless communication method of claim 1, Liu and Li disclose wherein the access and mobility management node is configured to transmit information of access network nodes to a sensing network node but does not disclose one or more unavailable access network nodes. Beg discloses a wireless sensing system where the sensing system may provide a mechanism by which the Wi-Fi device can indicate when it is available and/or when it is unavailable to participate in sensing system operations, para. 0105. Before the filing of the invention it would have been obvious to modify Liu and Li to include Beg’s availability indication. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to do so so the AMF can notify devices and the device can determine when it can depend on particular devices for participation in the motion detection system operation, para. 0105. Claim 16 is rejected under the same rationale. Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3, 12, 19 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 The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELANIE JAGANNATHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3163. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5. 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, Marcus Smith can be reached at 571-270-1096. 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. /MELANIE JAGANNATHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2468
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Prosecution Timeline

Mar 01, 2024
Application Filed
Feb 11, 2026
Non-Final Rejection — §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

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+5.0%)
3y 0m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 762 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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