Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/804,097

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR START AND STOP TRANSMISSION OF SOUNDING REFERENCE SIGNAL FOR POSITIONING IN MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §102§103§112
Filed
Aug 14, 2024
Priority
Oct 05, 2021 — RE 10-2021-0131343 +3 more
Examiner
LAFONTANT, GARY
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Soenghun KIM
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
73%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
6m
Est. Remaining
74%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 73% — above average
73%
Career Allowance Rate
340 granted / 465 resolved
+13.1% vs TC avg
Minimal +1% lift
Without
With
+1.0%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 5m
Avg Prosecution
27 currently pending
Career history
495
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
1.7%
-38.3% vs TC avg
§103
75.2%
+35.2% vs TC avg
§102
19.8%
-20.2% vs TC avg
§112
1.5%
-38.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 465 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103 §112
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 . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d): Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers. Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Claim 5 describes a limitation that is opposite to parent Claim 1, by reciting : “ wherein the positioning SRS transmission is not performed in case that: the wireless device camps on the cell based on stored information after reception of the RRC message for state transition”. While parent Claim 1 recites : “wherein a positioning SRS transmission based on the configuration information of SRS in RRC_INACTIVE is performed in case that the wireless device camps on the cell based on stored information after reception of the RRC message for state transition” The two above limitations in Claim 1 and in Claim 5 conflict with each other and the dependent claim do not further limit the independent claim. Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements. 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 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. Claim(s) 1-5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Thomas (US 2023/0262648 A1). Regarding Claim 1, 10 Thomas discloses a method (See [Abstract]; The processor configures the UE for energy efficient positioning measurements) by a wireless device (Fig.1(105)), the method comprising: receiving, by the wireless device (Fig.1(105)) from a base station (Fig.5(NG-RAN)), a radio resource control (RRC) message for state transition (See [0104-0105]; the UE State Transition Notification Request message may contain a reporting type that either indicates subsequent state transitions shall be notified at every RRC state transition), wherein the RRC message for state transition (See [0104-0105]; the UE State Transition Notification Request message may contain a reporting type that either indicates subsequent state transitions shall be notified at every RRC state transition) comprises a configuration information of SRS in RRC_INACTIVE (See [0049-0050]; [0104-0105];from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state, or from the RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED state)); and camping on a cell by the wireless device (See [0054-0055]; [0111-0112]; UE is camp on a gNB), wherein a positioning SRS transmission based on the configuration information of SRS in RRC_INACTIVE (See [0116-0117]; the UE 205 receives one or more RRC-state-based measurement configurations. For the case that positioning during RRC_IDLE/RRC_INACTIVE positioning is supported) is: performed in case that the wireless device camps on the cell (See [0116-0117]; LMF 305 can provision the best measurement and reporting configuration for a particular positioning technique based on the operational states of an identified UE/group of UEs) based on stored information (See [0050]; [0117]; [0138]; [0196]; UE can be configured in advanced or by base station to generate positioning in RRC-INACTIVE state) after reception of the RRC message for state transition (See [0104-0105]; the UE State Transition Notification Request message may contain a reporting type that either indicates subsequent state transitions shall be notified at every RRC state transition); and not performed in case that the wireless device camps on the cell (See [0116-0117]; [0195-0196]; UE may not performed positioning if it is not configured to position in RRC_Inactive state) based on received system information (See [0047]; [0050]; [0117]; [0138]; UE not configured to perform positioning in RRC_INACTIVE state cannot perform positioning in RRC_INACTIVE state)) after reception of the RRC message for state transition (See [0104-0105]; the UE State Transition Notification Request message may contain a reporting type that either indicates subsequent state transitions shall be notified at every RRC state transition). Note: Regarding Claim 10, A wireless device comprising: a transceiver (Fig.16(1635)), a memory (Fig.16(1610)), and a controller (Fig.16(1605)) coupled to the transceiver and the memory (See [0234-0235]; processor, transceiver and memory are interconnected), Regarding Claim 2, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 and Thomas further teaches wherein the configuration information of SRS in RRC_INACTIVE (See [0104-0105]; [0111-0112]; from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state, or from the RRC_INACTIVE to RRC_CONNECTED state)) comprises: first parameters relating to frequency resource (See [0049]; [0051]; [0098]; PRACH channel related to beam frequency band); second parameters relating to a periodicity and starting slot (See [0049]; [0119]; [0121]; [0135]; [0146]; [0287]; periodical monitoring); third parameters relating to power offset (See [0085]; [0123]; [0136]; [0191]; [0194]; reduced power mode transmission); and fourth parameters relating to spatial relation (See [0097]; [0233]; target transmission can indicate parameters for configuring a spatial setting between the target transmission and a reference RS using beamforming)). Regarding Claim 3, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 2 and Thomas further teaches transmission power of the positioning SRS determined based on the third parameters (See [0085]; [0135-0136]; [0194]; the UE may provide an indication to the LMF of its intention to transition to a reduced power RRC_CONNECTED state); and resource determined based on the first parameters (See [0098]; the PRS can be transmitted by different base stations (serving and neighboring) using narrow beams over Frequency Range #1 Between ("FRI", i.e., frequencies from 410 MHz to 7125 MHz) and Frequency Range #2 ("FR2")) and the second parameters (See [0049]; [0119]; [0121]; [0135]; [0146]; periodical monitoring). Regarding Claim 4, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 2 and Thomas further teaches wherein the positioning SRS transmission is performed (See [0098-0099]; SRS positioning is transmitted in beam) further based on a spatial domain transmission filter determined based on the fourth parameters (See Fig.3; [0098-0099]; Beam Management Configuration spatially separated). (Even though claim 5 is rejected as per 112th(d), the claim will be analyzed as per examiner own interpretation) Regarding Claim 5, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 and Thomas further teaches wherein the positioning SRS transmission is not performed (See [0116-0117]; UE may not performed positioning if it is not configured to position in RRC_Inactive state) in case that: the wireless device camps on the cell based on stored information (See [0054-0055]; [0195-0196]; positioning Is not performed in case UE changed cells) after reception of the RRC message for state transition (See [0116-0117]; state transition is not applicable in case system information dependent on RAT is different during mobility); and the cell is different from a Primary Cell at the time when the RRC message for state transition is received (See [0116-0117]; state transition is not applicable in case system information dependent on RAT is different during mobility). 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) 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thomas (US 2023/0262648 A1) and further in View Of Examiner Official Notice. “Examiner Official Notice” Regarding Claim 6, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 1 But Thomas fails to explicitly recite wherein the RRC message for state transition further comprises a full Inactive-Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) and a short I-RNTI. But in our art, Full I-RNTI identifies a specific UE in RRC-Inactive State when UE is camp on different or distant gNB than the last one and short I-RNTI is used for UE in RRC Inactive state using the same gNB.. Thomas described requesting UE position in RRC-INACTIVE mode from a location server (See [0116-0117]). Therefore it will have been obvious that the term full or short I-RNTI would have been used to describe the corresponding UE in inactive mode. Regarding Claim 7, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 6 and Thomas further teaches wherein, in case that a specific paging message is received (See [0049]; UE can receive paging from network), the wireless device: performs RRC connection resumption procedure (See Fig.7(710); [0112]; the UE 205 sends an RRCResumeRequest message to the NG-RAN 405) ; and stops the positioning SRS transmission (See [0115-0116]; [0190-0191]; UE may stop performing position measurement in order to save energy). Regarding Claim 8, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 7 and Thomas further teaches wherein the specific paging message is a paging message (See [0049]; [0196]; paging message toward UE) that comprises the full I-RNTI (See [0049]; [0196]; as described above, UE can be described I-Full RNTI for in RRC inactive state for different and an distant gNB) . Regarding Claim 9, Thomas teaches all the features with respect to claim 7 and Thomas further teaches wherein the wireless device performs RRC connection resumption procedure (See Fig.7(710); [0112]; the UE 205 sends an RRCResumeRequest message to the NG-RAN 405) based on the short I-RNTI (See [0049]; [0196]; as described above, UE can be described I-short RNTI for in RRC inactive state for local and same gNB serving UE) Note: Huang (US 2021/0377904 A1) is a reference that could have been considered to be used as prior art but not used. Huang teaches about a location management device configuring a SRS resource for the terminal device by using the LTE Positioning Protocol/NR Positioning Protocol (LPP/NPP). The Location management device configures the SRS resource for the terminal device, even if the terminal device enters the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state, the SRS resource configured for the terminal device is not released. Application performed similar function but with more details specifications. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GARY LAFONTANT whose telephone number is (571)272-3037. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00AM -6:00PM. 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, Jeanette Parker can be reached at 571-2703647. 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. /GARY LAFONTANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2646
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Aug 14, 2024
Application Filed
Jul 01, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103, §112 (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
73%
Grant Probability
74%
With Interview (+1.0%)
2y 5m (~6m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 465 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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