Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/661,023

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REPORTING UPLINK TRAFFIC JITTER IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Final Rejection §103
Filed
May 10, 2024
Priority
May 10, 2023 — RE 10-2023-0060694
Examiner
TURRIATE GASTULO, JUAN CARLOS
Art Unit
2446
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
OA Round
4 (Final)
71%
Grant Probability
Favorable
5-6
OA Rounds
7m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 71% — above average
71%
Career Allowance Rate
274 granted / 387 resolved
+12.8% vs TC avg
Strong +35% interview lift
Without
With
+34.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 12m
Avg Prosecution
19 currently pending
Career history
414
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
12.3%
-27.7% vs TC avg
§103
61.0%
+21.0% vs TC avg
§102
12.8%
-27.2% vs TC avg
§112
6.7%
-33.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 387 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 . DETAILED ACTION This action is in response to application filed 06/02/2026. Claims 1-3, 5-8, 10-13, 15-18, 20 are pending in this application. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 6, 11, and 16 in view of amended limitation (“…wherein the uplink traffic information includes information for a quality of service (QoS) flow including a QoS flow identifier (QFI), wherein the information for the QoS flow further includes at least one of a jitter range, or a traffic periodicity.”) have been considered but are moot because the new grounds of rejection. Upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made over Kim (US 2024/0334333 A1) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2021/0368502 A1). 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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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. Claims 1-3, 5-8, 10-13, 15-18, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2024/0334333 A1 – Priority Date 03/31/2023) in view of Zhang et al. (US 2021/0368502 A1). Regarding claim 1, Kim discloses a method performed by a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system ([0085]: The terminal creates uplink traffic pattern information), the method comprising: receiving, from a base station, a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message ([0058]: the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration from the base station) including configuration information to report uplink traffic information ([0078]-[0079]: The RRCReconfiguration can include UEAssistancelnformation configuration information which includes following fields. uplink_traffic_pattern_reporting_indication.) wherein the configuration information includes information on a protocol data unit (PDU) session ([0067]-[0073]: The RRCReconfiguration can include one or more radio bearer configurations. Each radio bearer configuration includes following fields…PDU session identifier(e.g. information on PDU) one or more QoS flow Identifiers); and transmitting, to the base station, a message including uplink traffic information based on the configuration information ([0083]-[0086]: the terminal transmits a UEAssistancelnformation to the base station. UE determines the traffic pattern information for a radio bearer. The terminal generates UEAssistanceInformation for uplink traffic pattern reporting); wherein the uplink traffic information includes information for a quality of service (QoS) flow ([0084]: UE determines the traffic pattern information for a radio bearer if the radio bearer is configured for XR traffic (e.g. QoS flows for NR are served by the radio bearer), wherein the information for the QoS flow further includes at least one of a jitter range, or a traffic periodicity([0087],[0092]-[0093]: The UEAssistanceInformation includes following fields. Uplink_Traffic_Pattern_Information… PDU_arrival_periodicity: this field indicates the estimated PDU set arrival periodicity in the uplink of the corresponding bearer). However, Kim does not disclose the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting; transmitting the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running, wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI). In an analogous art, Zhang discloses the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting ([0033], [0039], [0042]: The user equipment receives a configuration message from the network-side device (e.g. base station). The configuration message includes a timer for assistance information reporting); transmitting the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running ([0044],[0047]: network-side device has configured the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting but the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting is not running, conversely the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting is running, skipping reporting the semi-persistent resource assistance information) wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI) ([0054], [0056], [0062]: UE enables an assistance information reporting function. The semi-persistent resource assistance information corresponding periodic data flows and includes a quality of service (QoS) flow identifier (QOS Flow ID, QFI). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filed date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Kim to comprise “the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting; transmitting the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running, wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI).” taught by Zhang. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have enabled to configure a reporting timer that prevents frequent assistance information reporting and waste of communication resource, and including QFI in the reported traffic information so that the base station can identify the particular QoS flow associated with the reported periodic traffic information (Zhang [0056], [0062], [0079]). Regarding claim 2, Kim-Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the information on the PDU session includes at least one of PDU session identifier or QoS flow identifier (Kim, [0067]-[0073]: The RRCReconfiguration can include one or more radio bearer configurations. Each radio bearer configuration includes following fields…PDU session identifier(e.g. information on PDU) one or more QoS flow Identifiers). Regarding claim 3, Kim-Zhang discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the uplink traffic information further includes a PDU session identifier (Zhang, [0054]. [0056], [0061]: UE enables an assistance information reporting function. The semi-persistent resource assistance information corresponding periodic data flows and includes a protocol data unit (PDU) session identifier (PDU session ID). Regarding claim 5, Kim-Zhang discloses the method of wherein the message corresponds to a UEAssistanceInformation message (Kim, [0083]-[0086]: the terminal transmits a UEAssistancelnformation to the base station. UE determines the traffic pattern information for a radio bearer). Regarding claim 6, Kim discloses a method performed by a based station in a wireless communication system ([0057]: The base station determines configurations for the terminal based on the capability information), the method comprising: transmitting, to a user equipment (UE), a radio resource control (RRC) reconfiguration message ([0058]: the terminal receives a RRCReconfiguration from the base station) including configuration information to report uplink traffic information ([0078]-[0079]: The RRCReconfiguration can include UEAssistancelnformation configuration information which includes following fields. uplink_traffic_pattern_reporting_indication.) wherein the configuration information includes information on a protocol data unit (PDU) session ([0067]-[0073]: The RRCReconfiguration can include one or more radio bearer configurations. Each radio bearer configuration includes following fields…PDU session identifier(e.g. information on PDU) one or more QoS flow Identifiers); and receiving, from the UE, a message including the uplink traffic information based on the configuration information ([0083]-[0086]: the terminal transmits a UEAssistancelnformation to the base station. UE determines the traffic pattern information for a radio bearer. The terminal generates UEAssistanceInformation for uplink traffic pattern reporting); wherein the uplink traffic information includes information for a quality of service (QoS) flow ([0084]: UE determines the traffic pattern information for a radio bearer if the radio bearer is configured for XR traffic (e.g. QoS flows for NR are served by the radio bearer), wherein the information for the QoS flow further includes at least one of a jitter range, or a traffic periodicity([0087],[0092]-[0093]: The UEAssistanceInformation includes following fields. Uplink_Traffic_Pattern_Information… PDU_arrival_periodicity: this field indicates the estimated PDU set arrival periodicity in the uplink of the corresponding bearer). However, Kim does not disclose the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting; receiving the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running, wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI). In an analogous art, Zhang discloses the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting ([0033], [0039], [0042]: The user equipment receives a configuration message from the network-side device (e.g. base station). The configuration message includes a timer for assistance information reporting); receiving the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running ([0044],[0047]: network-side device has configured the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting but the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting is not running, conversely the timer for semi-persistent resource assistance information reporting is running, skipping reporting the semi-persistent resource assistance information) wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI) ([0054], [0056], [0062]: UE enables an assistance information reporting function. The semi-persistent resource assistance information corresponding periodic data flows and includes a quality of service (QoS) flow identifier (QOS Flow ID, QFI). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filed date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Kim to comprise “the configuration information includes information on a prohibit timer for uplink traffic information reporting; receiving the uplink traffic information in case that a timer configured based on the information on the prohibit timer is not running, wherein the uplink traffic information includes information including a QoS flow identifier (QFI)” taught by Zhang. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated because it would have enabled to configure a reporting timer that prevents frequent assistance information reporting and waste of communication resource, and including QFI in the reported traffic information so that the base station can identify the particular QoS flow associated with the reported periodic traffic information (Zhang [0056], [0062], [0079]). Regarding claims 7, 12, 17; the claims are interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 2. Regarding claims 8, 13, 18; the claims are interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 3. Regarding claims 10, 15, 20; the claims are interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 5. Regarding claim 11; the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 1. Regarding claim 16; the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 6. Additional References The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants disclosure. Maamari et al., US 2024/0107363 A1: Statistical Delay Reporting for Adaptive Configuration of Delay Budget. Ayaz et al., US 2021/0273890 A1: Devices and Method for Time Sensitive Communication in a Communication Network. 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 JUAN C TURRIATE GASTULO whose telephone number is (571)272-6707. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am-4 pm. 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, Glenton B Burgess can be reached at (571)272-3949. 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. /J.C.T/Examiner, Art Unit 2454 /GLENTON B BURGESS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2454
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Prosecution Timeline

Show 1 earlier event
Jul 16, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Oct 15, 2025
Response Filed
Nov 20, 2025
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Feb 10, 2026
Request for Continued Examination
Feb 26, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action
Mar 06, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jun 02, 2026
Response Filed
Sep 11, 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

5-6
Expected OA Rounds
71%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+34.8%)
2y 12m (~7m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
High
PTA Risk
Based on 387 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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