Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/795,203

POWER HEADROOM REPORTING METHOD AND APPARATUS

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Aug 06, 2024
Priority
Mar 03, 2022 — CN 202210218301.6 +1 more
Examiner
PHUNKULH, BOB A
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allowance Rate
845 granted / 945 resolved
+29.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +9% lift
Without
With
+9.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
974
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.4%
-37.6% vs TC avg
§103
63.9%
+23.9% vs TC avg
§102
21.5%
-18.5% vs TC avg
§112
2.5%
-37.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 945 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Claim(s) 1, 6-7, 9-10, 15-16, 18, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by AKKARAKARAN et al. (US 2018/0368081 A1), hereinafter AKKARAKARAN. Regarding claim 1, AKKARAKARAN discloses a power headroom reporting method, comprising: sending third indication information to a network device, wherein the third indication information indicates power headrooms respectively corresponding to a plurality of transmission beams in a terminal (the UE 505 may transmit a power headroom report (PHR) that indicates a power headroom value determined based at least in part on the maximum transmit power, see ¶ 0091 and figure 5, where the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams, see ¶ 0094), wherein a power headroom corresponding to each transmission beam is determined based on a maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam and an expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam (different beams may be associated with different maximum transmit powers (e.g., Pcmax or Pcmax values), see ¶ 0090 and figure 5). Regarding claim 6, AKKARAKARAN discloses the power headrooms respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are all real power headrooms, the maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a maximum transmit power that corresponds to each transmission beam and that is used by the terminal during one uplink transmission, and the expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a transmit power that corresponds to each transmission beam and that is determined by the terminal based on a power control parameter and an uplink transmission scheduling parameter that are indicated by the network device (the UE 505 may transmit a power headroom report (PHR) that indicates a power headroom value determined based at least in part on the maximum transmit power, see ¶ 0091 and figure 5, where the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams, see ¶ 0094), Regarding claim 7, AKKARAKARAN discloses the real power headrooms respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are determined based on power control parameters and uplink transmission scheduling parameters that respectively correspond to the plurality of transmission beams during one uplink transmission (the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams. Additionally, or alternatively, the reference beam (e.g., a configuration for the reference beam) may be signaled to the UE 505 in an RRC message, in a MAC control element, in downlink control information, and/or the like. In this way, the UE 505 may report a power headroom value when the UE 505 does not have information to transmit, see ¶ 0094). Regarding claim 9, AKKARAKARAN discloses wherein each of the plurality of transmission beams corresponds to one or a plurality of antenna panels in the terminal (process 1200 may include transmitting the PHR according to the aperiodic indication (block 1220). For example, the UE (e.g., using controller/processor 280, transmit processor 264, TX MIMO processor 266, MOD 254, antenna 252, and/or the like) may transmit the PHR according to the aperiodic indication, as described elsewhere herein in connection with FIGS. 5 and 6, see ¶ 0164, and figure 12). Regarding claim 10, AKKARAKARAN discloses a communication apparatus, comprising: a transceiver, configured to send third indication information to a network device, wherein the third indication information indicates power headrooms respectively corresponding to a plurality of transmission beams in a terminal (the UE 505 may transmit a power headroom report (PHR) that indicates a power headroom value determined based at least in part on the maximum transmit power, see ¶ 0091 and figure 5, where the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams, see ¶ 0094), wherein a power headroom corresponding to each transmission beam is determined based on a maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam and an expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam (different beams may be associated with different maximum transmit powers (e.g., Pcmax or Pcmax values), see ¶ 0090 and figure 5). Regarding claim 15, AKKARAKARAN discloses the power headrooms respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are all real power headrooms, the maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a maximum transmit power that corresponds to each transmission beam and that is used by the terminal during one uplink transmission, and the expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a transmit power that corresponds to each transmission beam and that is determined by the terminal based on a power control parameter and an uplink transmission scheduling parameter that are indicated by the network device (the UE 505 may transmit a power headroom report (PHR) that indicates a power headroom value determined based at least in part on the maximum transmit power, see ¶ 0091 and figure 5, where the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams, see ¶ 0094), Regarding claim 16, AKKARAKARAN discloses the real power headrooms respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are determined based on power control parameters and uplink transmission scheduling parameters that respectively correspond to the plurality of transmission beams during one uplink transmission (the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams. Additionally, or alternatively, the reference beam (e.g., a configuration for the reference beam) may be signaled to the UE 505 in an RRC message, in a MAC control element, in downlink control information, and/or the like. In this way, the UE 505 may report a power headroom value when the UE 505 does not have information to transmit, see ¶ 0094). Regarding claim 18, AKKARAKARAN discloses a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores instructions; and when the instructions are run on a computer, the computer is enabled to perform the method comprising: sending third indication information to a network device, wherein the third indication information indicates power headrooms respectively corresponding to a plurality of transmission beams in a terminal (the UE 505 may transmit a power headroom report (PHR) that indicates a power headroom value determined based at least in part on the maximum transmit power, see ¶ 0091 and figure 5, where the UE 505 may transmit PHRs corresponding to all of the different configured beams, see ¶ 0094), wherein a power headroom corresponding to each transmission beam is determined based on a maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam and an expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam (different beams may be associated with different maximum transmit powers (e.g., Pcmax or Pcmax values), see ¶ 0090 and figure 5). Regarding claim 20, AKKARAKARAN discloses wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are preset maximum transmit power values; or the third threshold is a preset maximum value of the EIRP (the uplink transmission may be transmitted on a particular beam (e.g., a particular antenna beam), and different beams may be associated with different maximum transmit powers (e.g., Pcmax or Pcmax values). In this case, the UE 505 may determine the maximum transmit power based at least in part on a beam via which the uplink transmission is to be transmitted, see ¶ 0090). 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, 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. Claim(s) 2-5, 11-14, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AKKARAKARAN in view of YUAN et al. (US 2022/0377680 A1), hereinafter YUAN ‘680. Regarding claims 2, 11 and 19, AKKARAKARAN fails to disclose wherein maximum transmit powers respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are determined based on at least one of the following conditions: a sum of actual radiated powers corresponding to the maximum transmit powers does not exceed a second threshold; or an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) corresponding to each of the plurality of transmission beams does not exceed a third threshold and is not less than a fourth threshold. In the same field of endeavor, YUAN ‘680 discloses as shown by reference number 420, the UE 120 may determine an MPE condition. The MPE condition may relate to one or more transmit beams generated by the UE 120. For example, the UE 120 may determine a threshold associated with the MPE condition. The threshold may relate to, for example, a total radiated power, a maximum output power, an effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP), a radiated power on a single beam, a radiated power on a beam directed toward a user of the UE 120, and/or the like. If the threshold is satisfied (e.g., for a given time window) with regard to a beam, then the beam may exceed the MPE limit (see ¶ 0064). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement YUAN ‘680’s teaching in the network taught by AKKARAKARAN for regulatory compliance where the local or federal may enforce legal limits to prevent interference between wireless services (e.g. Wi-Fi, cellular, and satellite). Regarding claims 3 and 12, YUAN ‘680 discloses wherein the first threshold and the second threshold are preset maximum transmit power values (the threshold may be dynamically assigned by the UE 120, see ¶ 0059, 0064). Regarding claims 4 and 13, YUAN ‘680 discloses wherein the third threshold is a preset maximum value of the EIRP (the EIRP threshold may be dynamically assigned by the UE 120, see ¶ 0059, 0064). Regarding claims 5, and 14, YUAN ‘680 discloses wherein the fourth threshold is a preset minimum value of the EIRP plus a quantity related to power aggregation, and then minus a quantity related to power reduction and an offset related to multiple beam transmission (the threshold may be dynamically assigned by the UE 120, see ¶ 0059, 0064). Claim(s) 8 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AKKARAKARAN in view of YUAN et al. (US 2023/0018795 A1), hereinafter YUAN ‘795. Regarding claims 8 and 17, AKKARAKARAN fails to disclose wherein the power headrooms respectively corresponding to the plurality of transmission beams are all virtual power headrooms, the maximum transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a maximum transmit power used by each transmission beam to determine a virtual power headroom, and the expected transmit power corresponding to each transmission beam is a transmit power that corresponds to each transmission beam and that is determined by the terminal based on a power control parameter indicated by the network device. In the same filed of endeavor, YUAN ‘795 discloses a method of wireless communication, performed by a UE, may include determining one or more beam metric values for one or more beams that are monitored by the UE, wherein the one or more beam metric values correspond to one or more of a beam power management maximum power reduction (P-MPR) metric, a beam uplink reference signal receive power (RSRP) metric, or a beam virtual power headroom metric, and transmitting a report based at least in part on the one or more beam metric values (see ¶ 0005, 0007-0009). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement YUAN’s teaching in the network taught by YUAN ‘795 for pathloss estimation, even without an active transmission, the network can gauge the distance and signal degradation between the base station and your device by looking at how much power would be required. Conclusion Any response to this action should be mailed to: The following address mail to be delivered by the United States Postal Service (USPS) only: Mail Stop _____________ Commissioner for Patents P. O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 or faxed to: (571) 273-8300, (for formal communications intended for entry) Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bob A. Phunkulh whose telephone number is (571) 272-3083. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (first week of the bi-week) and Monday-Friday (for second week of the bi-week). If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor CHARLES C. JIANG can be reach on (571) 270-7191. 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). /BOB A PHUNKULH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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Prosecution Timeline

Aug 06, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 03, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
89%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+9.3%)
2y 8m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 945 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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