Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/778,276

COMMUNICATION CONTROL METHOD

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jul 19, 2024
Priority
Jan 21, 2022 — provisional 63/301,773 +1 more
Examiner
DEFAUW, THAD N
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Kyocera Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
83%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 83% — above average
83%
Career Allowance Rate
215 granted / 258 resolved
+23.3% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+16.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 7m
Avg Prosecution
9 currently pending
Career history
277
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.6%
-36.4% vs TC avg
§103
56.2%
+16.2% vs TC avg
§102
15.6%
-24.4% vs TC avg
§112
19.8%
-20.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 258 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 office action is in response to the original application filed on 7/19/2024. Claims 1-10 are rejected. 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 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by “3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #116 Electronic Online Meeting, Nov 1-12, 2021, R2-2111437” (hereinafter as “R2-2111437”). Regarding Claim 1, “R2-2111437” teaches a communication control method in a mobile communication system for being capable of performing a first communication on a direct link between a remote user equipment and a base station and a second communication on an indirect link between the remote user equipment and the base station via a relay user equipment, the communication control method comprising (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”): transmitting, by the remote user equipment, a measurement report message including identification information of the relay user equipment to the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 1, the U2N Remote UE reports one or multiple candidate U2N Relay UE(s) and legacy Uu measurements, after it measures/discovers the candidate U2N Relays UE(s)); receiving, by the remote user equipment, an RRC Reconfiguration message for configuring the indirect link to the relay user equipment, from the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include PC5 RLC configuration for relay traffic and the associated end-to-end radio bearers); establishing, by the remote user equipment, the indirect link to the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 4, the U2N Remote UE establishes PC5 connection with target U2N Relay UE); and transmitting, by the remote user equipment, an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 5, the U2N Remote UE completes the path switch procedure by sending the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via the relay UE) via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.1-1, “Section 16.x.6.1 Switching from indirect to direct path”, Step 5, the UE sends the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via direct path). PNG media_image1.png 650 860 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 536 636 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding Claim 2, “RP-2111437” further teaches wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message includes the information of the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include U2N Relay UE ID). Regarding Claim 3, “RP-2111437” teaches a remote user equipment configured to be capable of performing a first communication on a direct link between the remote user equipment and a base station and a second communication on an indirect link between the remote user equipment and the base station via a relay user equipment, the remote user equipment comprising transceiver circuitry and processing circuitry operatively associated with the transceiver circuitry and configured to execute processing of (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, case of a UE switching to U2N Relay UE, inherently a UE would have both a processor and a transceiver);: transmitting a measurement report message including identification information of the relay user equipment to the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 1, the U2N Remote UE reports one or multiple candidate U2N Relay UE(s) and legacy Uu measurements, after it measures/discovers the candidate U2N Relays UE(s)); receiving an RRC Reconfiguration message for configuring the indirect link to the relay user equipment, from the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include PC5 RLC configuration for relay traffic and the associated end-to-end radio bearers); establishing the indirect link to the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 4, the U2N Remote UE establishes PC5 connection with target U2N Relay UE); and transmitting an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 5, the U2N Remote UE completes the path switch procedure by sending the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via the Relay UE) via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.1-1, “Section 16.x.6.1 Switching from indirect to direct path”, Step 5, the UE sends the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via direct path). Regarding Claim 4, “RP-2111437” further teaches wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message includes the information of the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include U2N Relay UE ID). Regarding Claim 5, “RP-2111437” teaches a mobile communication system comprising: a base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, step 2, the gNB decides to switch the U2N Remote UE to a target U2N Relay UE); a relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, step 2, the gNB decides to switch the U2N Remote UE to a target U2N Relay UE); and a remote user equipment configured to be capable of performing a first communication on a direct link between the remote user equipment and the base station and a second communication on an indirect link between the remote user equipment and the base station via the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, case of a UE switching to U2N Relay UE, step 2, the gNB decides to switch the U2N Remote UE to a target U2N Relay UE), wherein the remote user equipment is configured to transmit a measurement report message including identification information of the relay user equipment to the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 1, the U2N Remote UE reports one or multiple candidate U2N Relay UE(s) and legacy Uu measurements, after it measures/discovers the candidate U2N Relays UE(s)); the remote user equipment is configured to receive an RRC Reconfiguration message for configuring the indirect link to the relay user equipment, from the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include PC5 RLC configuration for relay traffic and the associated end-to-end radio bearers) the remote user equipment is configured to establish the indirect link to the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 4, the U2N Remote UE establishes PC5 connection with target U2N Relay UE); and the remote user equipment is configured to transmits an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 5, the U2N Remote UE completes the path switch procedure by sending the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via the Relay UE) via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.1-1, “Section 16.x.6.1 Switching from indirect to direct path”, Step 5, the UE sends the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via direct path). Regarding Claim 6, “RP-2111437” further teaches wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message includes the information of the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include U2N Relay UE ID). Regarding Claim 7, “RP-2111437” teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer of a remote user equipment, the remote user equipment configured to be capable of performing a first communication on a direct link between the remote user equipment and a base station and a second communication on an indirect link between the remote user equipment and the base station via a relay user equipment, to execute processing comprising (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, case of a UE switching to U2N Relay UE, step 2, the gNB decides to switch the U2N Remote UE to a target U2N Relay UE, inherently a UE would have a processor executing instructions stored in a memory): transmitting a measurement report message including identification information of the relay user equipment to the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 1, the U2N Remote UE reports one or multiple candidate U2N Relay UE(s) and legacy Uu measurements, after it measures/discovers the candidate U2N Relays UE(s)); receiving an RRC Reconfiguration message for configuring the indirect link to the relay user equipment, from the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include PC5 RLC configuration for relay traffic and the associated end-to-end radio bearers); establishing the indirect link to the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 4, the U2N Remote UE establishes PC5 connection with target U2N Relay UE); and transmitting an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 5, the U2N Remote UE completes the path switch procedure by sending the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via the Relay UE) via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.1-1, “Section 16.x.6.1 Switching from indirect to direct path”, Step 5, the UE sends the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via direct path). Regarding Claim 8, “RP-2111437” further teaches wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message includes the information of the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include U2N Relay UE ID). Regarding Claim 9, “RP-2111437” teaches a chipset for a remote user equipment configured to be capable of performing a first communication on a direct link between the remote user equipment and a base station and a second communication on an indirect link between the remote user equipment and the base station via a relay user equipment, the chipset comprising (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, case of a UE switching to U2N Relay UE, step 2, the gNB decides to switch the U2N Remote UE to a target U2N Relay UE, inherently a UE would have a processor to execute instructions stored in memory, with both the processor and memory on computer chips): transmitting a measurement report message including identification information of the relay user equipment to the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 1, the U2N Remote UE reports one or multiple candidate U2N Relay UE(s) and legacy Uu measurements, after it measures/discovers the candidate U2N Relays UE(s)); receiving an RRC Reconfiguration message for configuring the indirect link to the relay user equipment, from the base station via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include PC5 RLC configuration for relay traffic and the associated end-to-end radio bearers); establishing the indirect link to the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 4, the U2N Remote UE establishes PC5 connection with target U2N Relay UE); and transmitting an RRC Reconfiguration Complete message to the base station (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 5, the U2N Remote UE completes the path switch procedure by sending the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via the Relay UE) via the direct link (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.1-1, “Section 16.x.6.1 Switching from indirect to direct path”, Step 5, the UE sends the RRCReconfigurationComplete message to the gNB via direct path). Regarding Claim 10, “RP-2111437” further teaches wherein the RRC Reconfiguration message includes the information of the relay user equipment (“R2-2111437”, Fig 16.x.6.2-1, “Section 16.x.6.2 Switching from direct to indirect path”, Step 3, the gNB sends the RRCReconfiguration message to the U2N Remote UE, the contents of the RRCReconfiguration message can include U2N Relay UE ID). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THAD N DEFAUW whose telephone number is (571)272-6905. The examiner can normally be reached on the first Thursday and Friday of the bi-week 9 am – 5 pm, and the second Monday and Tuesday of the bi-week 9 am – 5 pm). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles Jiang can be reached on (571) 270-7191. 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. /T.N.D/ Examiner, Art Unit 2412 /CHARLES C JIANG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 19, 2024
Application Filed
Sep 02, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
83%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+16.3%)
2y 7m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 258 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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