Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/704,851

TERMINAL, RADIO COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND BASE STATION

Non-Final OA §103§112
Filed
Apr 25, 2024
Priority
Oct 29, 2021 — nonprovisional of PCTJP2021039974
Examiner
BUKHARI, SIBTE H
Art Unit
2449
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
79%
Grant Probability
Favorable
2-3
OA Rounds
8m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 79% — above average
79%
Career Allowance Rate
347 granted / 440 resolved
+20.9% vs TC avg
Strong +36% interview lift
Without
With
+35.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
460
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
9.8%
-30.2% vs TC avg
§103
66.1%
+26.1% vs TC avg
§102
10.4%
-29.6% vs TC avg
§112
9.4%
-30.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 440 resolved cases

Office Action

§103 §112
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 on 7/1/2026. Claims 1-6 have been examined and are pending with this action. The Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 has been withdrawn based on the amendment filed on 7/1/2026. Drawings The drawings were received on 4/25/2024 and these drawings are accepted. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments filed in the amendment filed 7/1/2026., regarding 35 USC 112 Claim Rejections are persuasive and that rejection is withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments filed in the amendment filed 7/1/2026., regarding 35 USC 103 Claim Rejections and are not persuasive and below is the explanation. Arguments: Applicant argued that a downlink (DL) signal resource are configurable in the same time resource in one physical resource block is not taught by provided Arts. Examiner: Examiner cites that Suzuki discloses an enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set monitoring physical downlink control channel as the physical downlink control channel is based on a given reference signal for rate matching. Applicant argues that time element is not being taught by the provided art and Examiner cites that a downlink (DL) signal resource are configurable in the same time resource in one physical resource block (Suzuki: “ wherein the base station has a physical control information notifying unit the physical control information notification section & the base station transmits the enhanced physical downlink control channel configuration to a 1 enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set or a 2 enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set, and notifies it to the terminal & PhysicalDownlinkSharedCHannel) is assigned. wireless frame of downlink by the resource block of downlink (RB ResourceBlock). the downlink RB pair is downlink radio resource allocation unit, by a predetermined width of frequency with (RB bandwidth) and time (2 time slots of =1 sub-frames). ”). In the above citation the downlink paring has certain time slots associated with it and hence disclosing the same time resource in one physical resource block aspect of the limitation. The downlink element with time resource ad physical resource blocks are all disclosed by the prior art. Claim 2 argument is non persuasive based on above explanation. 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. Claims 1 & 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (CN 105075364 A) in view of Dong (CN 111417193 A). As per claim 1, Suzuki discloses a terminal (Suzuki: “a communication system carries out communication with the terminal base station in a cell of a communication system.”), comprising: A processor that (Suzuki: “ wherein the base station has a physical control information notifying unit the physical control information notification section .”), determine a resource in which an uplink (UL) signal resource (Suzuki: “ FIG. 3 shows a diagram showing an example of radio frame of an uplink related to this embodiment; uplink uses SC-FDMA mode. in the uplink, a physical uplink shared channel (PhysicalUplinkSharedChannel: PUSCH) and PUCCH is allocated. Further, a portion of the PUSCH and PUCCH, uplink reference signal is allocated.”), and a downlink (DL) signal resource are configurable in the same time resource in one physical resource block (Suzuki: “ wherein the base station has a physical control information notifying unit the physical control information notification section & the base station transmits the enhanced physical downlink control channel configuration to a 1 enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set or a 2 enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set, and notifies it to the terminal & PhysicalDownlinkSharedCHannel) is assigned. wireless frame of downlink by the resource block of downlink (RB ResourceBlock). the downlink RB pair is downlink radio resource allocation unit, by a predetermined width of frequency with (RB bandwidth) and time (2 time slots of =1 sub-frames). ”), ; and Suzuki does not explicitly teaches the signal used for initial access. Dong however discloses transceiver that performs, in the resource to be determined, at least one of reception of a specific DL signal used for initial access and transmission of a specific UL signal used for initial access (Dong: “one is the initial activation BWP for terminal initial access stage and the terminal is in RRC (Radio Resource Control, radio resource control) idle state, and the other one is a BWP RRC configuration for the terminal is in an RRC connected state. the terminal obtains uplink/downlink initial activation-associated information of the BWP through RMSI (Remaining Minimum System Information, remaining minimum system information) for reading the cell. downlink initial activation BWP System information block for transmitting SIBs (system information block) information.”). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Suzuki in view of Doing to figure out the DL signal used for initial access. One would be motivated to do so because this may provide the basis for the initial activation of BWP (Bandwidth Part bandwidth part) for terminal. (Dong). Claim 5 and 6 are rejected based on rationale provided for claim 1. As per claim 3, Suzuki/Dong discloses the terminal according to claim 1, wherein the DL signal in the DL signal resource to be configured includes at least one of information on monitoring of a physical downlink control channel, system information, and information on the UL signal (Suzuki: “ enhanced physical downlink control signal path physical resource block set monitoring physical downlink control channel as the physical downlink control channel is based on a given reference signal for rate matching, to decode the physical downlink control channel,”). As per claim 4, Suzuki/Dong discloses the terminal according to claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to determine at least one of an additional UL signal resource and an additional DL signal resource based on a length of the UL signal resource to be configured and a length of the DL signal resource to be configured (Dong: “each BWP is composed of a section of continuous PRB (physical resource block, physical resource block), the bandwidth corresponding to the frequency domain starting position, the SCS (Sub-Channel Spacing, subcarrier spacing) and CP (Cyclic Prefix, cyclic prefix) length can be flexibly configured. standard defined BWP in the uplink/downlink to distinguish, and up/down can be configured with different parameters according to the requirement..”). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Suzuki in view of Doing to figure out the DL signal used for initial access. One would be motivated to do so because this may provide the basis for the initial activation of BWP (Bandwidth Part bandwidth part) for terminal. (Dong). Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki (CN 105075364 A) in view of Dong (CN 111417193 A) and in further view of Ang et al (US PUB 2021/0314946A). As per claim 2, Suzuki/Dong discloses the terminal according to claim 1, (Suzuki: “a communication system carries out communication with the terminal base station in a cell of a communication system.”). Suzuki/Dong does not disclose the overlapping of DL signals. Ang however discloses wherein a frequency resource of the UL signal resource and a frequency resource of the DL signal resource are configurable while at least partially overlapping each other (Ang: [0018] “ In the example of FIG. 6A, the defined downlink half duplex and uplink half duplex BWPs are overlapping in frequency and the usable bandwidth for a full duplex frequency-based BWP configuration”). Therefore it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Suzuki in view of Doing to figure out the DL signal used for initial access. One would be motivated to do so because this may aid in the bandwidth part (BWP) configuration for full duplex communications. (ANG [0001]). Conclusion This action is made final. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. This includes: Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sibte Bukhari whose telephone number is (571) 270-7122. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9:00 - 6:00. 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, Vivek Srivastava can be reached on (571) 272-7304. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SIBTE H BUKHARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2449
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Apr 25, 2024
Application Filed
Apr 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112
Jul 01, 2026
Response Filed
Jul 17, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103, §112
Sep 16, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
79%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+35.9%)
3y 1m (~8m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 440 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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