Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/608,708

TECHNIQUES FOR RECYCLING ANTENNAS FOR MULTI-COMPONENT CARRIER (CC) OPERATIONS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Mar 18, 2024
Examiner
KIM, CHONG G
Art Unit
2443
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Qualcomm Incorporated
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
84%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
4m
Est. Remaining
88%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 84% — above average
84%
Career Allowance Rate
366 granted / 438 resolved
+25.6% vs TC avg
Minimal +4% lift
Without
With
+3.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
38 currently pending
Career history
475
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.6%
-38.4% vs TC avg
§103
54.9%
+14.9% vs TC avg
§102
42.0%
+2.0% vs TC avg
§112
0.7%
-39.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 438 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I: Claims 1-18 and 29, drawn to an apparatus and a method for wireless communication in which the apparatus receives downlink signaling in the second band using the first antenna and the second antenna is acknowledged. 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. Claims 1-18 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wei (US PGPub 2024/0080829). Regarding claims 1 and 29, Wei teaches an apparatus for wireless communication (Wei, see abstract, Techniques are described to facilitate transmission by a communication device on multiple carriers), comprising: a transceiver (Wei, see figure 5, a communication device); one or more memories configured to, individually or in combination, store instructions (Wei, see figure 5, a communication device); and one or more processors communicatively coupled with the one or more memories, wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination (Wei, see figure 5, a communication device), configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to: receive a configuration for a first antenna of the apparatus to receive downlink signaling in a first band (Wei, see paragraphs 0091-0092, base station indicates one initial state for the UE. UE switches to the initial state once UE is indicated to switch to another set of the carrier/band configuration. The initial state can be one or more Rx antenna for each carrier. The initial state can be one or more Rx antenna for each band); receive, from a network node, an indication to use the first antenna, during a time period, along with a second antenna of the apparatus to receive downlink signaling in a second band (Wei, see paragraphs 0093-0094, The initial state can be two or more Rx antennas for one carrier or one band. In this state, UE is allowed to receive downlink transmission with more than one port on the downlink carrier or the band indicated by the carrier configuration or band configuration. The initial state can be two or more Rx antennas for one carrier or one band, on which the PDSCH scheduled by the DCI indicating a new set of carrier/band configuration is transmitted); and receive, during the time period, downlink signaling in the second band using the first antenna and the second antenna (Wei, see paragraph 0121, the M active carriers are M downlink carriers from the N bands, the P carriers are P downlink carriers, the first set of configurations for the M downlink carriers include a set of configurations for the P downlink carriers, the first set of configurations for the M downlink carriers includes a list of carrier combinations that includes a plurality of indexes and a plurality of combination of downlink carriers, each index is associated with and identifies at least one downlink carrier up to the P downlink carriers, the set of configurations for the P downlink carriers includes any one or more of the following: a frequency of each of the P downlink carriers, a switching period configuration during which the communication device is not required to receive on the P carriers, and/or a mode of downlink transmission switching that indicates whether a switching period is needed when switching from a 1-port reception on one carrier to a 1-port reception on another carrier; and the communication device receives an index associated with the one or more carriers from the P downlink carriers). Regarding claim 2, Wei teaches wherein the indication includes a semi-static indication to use the first antenna to receive downlink signaling in the second band according to a configured pattern of time periods (Wei, see paragraph 0121, the M active carriers are M downlink carriers from the N bands, the P carriers are P downlink carriers, the first set of configurations for the M downlink carriers include a set of configurations for the P downlink carriers, the first set of configurations for the M downlink carriers includes a list of carrier combinations that includes a plurality of indexes and a plurality of combination of downlink carriers, each index is associated with and identifies at least one downlink carrier up to the P downlink carriers, the set of configurations for the P downlink carriers includes any one or more of the following: a frequency of each of the P downlink carriers, a switching period configuration during which the communication device is not required to receive on the P carriers, and/or a mode of downlink transmission switching that indicates whether a switching period is needed when switching from a 1-port reception on one carrier to a 1-port reception on another carrier; and the communication device receives an index associated with the one or more carriers from the P downlink carriers). Regarding claim 3, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the indication from the network node in a downlink grant (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 4, Wei teaches wherein the time period corresponds to time resources specified in the downlink grant (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 5, Wei teaches wherein the time period corresponds to a duration of time until another downlink grant is received that indicates to use the first antenna to receive downlink signaling in a band other than the second band (Wei, see paragraph 0071, The mode of DL Rx switching indicates how many Rx antennas are allowed to be switched each time). Regarding claim 6, Wei teaches wherein the time period corresponds to an observation period of a subset of slots (Wei, see paragraph 0071, The mode of DL Rx switching indicates how many Rx antennas are allowed to be switched each time). Regarding claim 7, Wei teaches wherein the time period begins at a time after feedback is transmitted for a received downlink communication (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 8, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the downlink signaling in the second band using the first antenna based on transmitting the feedback as including an acknowledgement (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 9, Wei teaches wherein the downlink grant is received in downlink control information (DCI) or media access control (MAC)-control element (CE) (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 10, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to: receive, from the network node, a reference signal configuration indicating a number of antennas to use for performing reference signal measurements (Wei, see paragraph 0046, The subsequent transmission for uplink includes at least PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS and PRACH); and transmit, to the network node, reference signal measurements performed using the number of antennas (Wei, see paragraph 0046, The subsequent transmission for uplink includes at least PUSCH, PUCCH, SRS and PRACH). Regarding claim 11, Wei teaches wherein the reference signal configuration indicates to use at least the first antenna and the second antenna for measuring channel state information (CSI)-reference signals (RSs) for reporting CSI for the second band (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Regarding claim 12, Wei teaches wherein the reference signal configuration indicates the number of antennas is per one or more of a CSI reporting configuration, a resource setting, or a resource (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Regarding claim 13, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the indication from the network node in a downlink grant and a second indication of a number of antennas to use for measuring channel state information (CSI)-reference signals (RSs) for reporting CSI for the second band (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Regarding claim 14, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive the second indication at a beginning of an observation period of a subset of slots (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 15, Wei teaches wherein the time period corresponds to a switching gap after receiving the downlink grant (Wei, see paragraph 0122, the communication device receives the index from a downlink control information (DCI) or a media access control control element (MAC CE)). Regarding claim 16, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive, in a radio resource control (RRC) configuration for a configured grant corresponding to the downlink signaling in the second band, a second indication of a number of antennas to use for measuring channel state information (CSI)-reference signals (RSs) for reporting CSI for the second band (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Regarding claim 17, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to determine a number of antennas used for measuring channel state information (CSI)-reference signals (RSs) for reporting CSI for the second band to include at least the first antenna and the second antenna based at least in part on a time pattern (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Regarding claim 18, Wei teaches wherein the one or more processors are, individually or in combination, configured to execute the instructions to cause the apparatus to receive, from the network node, an indication of the time pattern in radio resource control (RRC) signaling configuring resources for the downlink signaling (Wei, see paragraph 0047, The subsequent downlink signal/channel includes at least PDCCH, PDSCH, CSI-RS, PSS, SSS and PBCH). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHONG G KIM whose telephone number is (571)270-0619. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri @ 9am - 5pm. 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, Nicholas R. Taylor can be reached at 571-272-3889. 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. /CHONG G KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2443 /CHRISTOPHER B ROBINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2443
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Prosecution Timeline

Mar 18, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 26, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (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
84%
Grant Probability
88%
With Interview (+3.9%)
2y 8m (~4m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 438 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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