Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/832,427

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATION IN AN IAB NETWORK

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jul 23, 2024
Priority
Jan 25, 2022 — nonprovisional of PCTCN2022073743
Examiner
RUBIN, BLAKE J
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Lenovo (United States) Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
76%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1y 2m
Est. Remaining
73%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 76% — above average
76%
Career Allowance Rate
457 granted / 602 resolved
+15.9% vs TC avg
Minimal -3% lift
Without
With
+-2.9%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 2m
Avg Prosecution
15 currently pending
Career history
622
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.3%
-39.7% vs TC avg
§103
60.7%
+20.7% vs TC avg
§102
38.2%
-1.8% vs TC avg
§112
0.1%
-39.9% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 602 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
DETAILED ACTION This action is in response to communication on July 23rd, 2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending. Claims 1 and 3-15 are currently amended via preliminary amendment. And claims 16-20 are newly presented via preliminary amendment. The present application is a 371 National Phase Entry of International Application no. PCT/CN2022/073743, filed on January 25th, 2022. 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 § 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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chaponniere et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2022/0141727, hereinafter Chaponniere). With respect to claim 1, Champonniere discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication (paragraph [0117], UE 115-a) and a wireless network node (paragraph [0117], relay device 205), comprising: at least one memory (paragraph [0117], UE 115-a); and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (paragraph [0117], UE 115-a) and configured to cause the UE to: determine a location status of the UE relative to a mobile wireless network node based on a criterion (paragraph [0067], lines 1-4, based on whether the US is inside or outside the vehicle), wherein the mobile wireless network node is configured as a mobile relay node between a base station (BS) and the UE (paragraph [0066], lines 10-11, relay devices may be mounted on vehicles); and transmit the location status of the UE to at least one of the mobile wireless network node or the BS (paragraph [0070], lines 14-20, base station may determine whether the UE is inside or outside the vehicle). With respect to claim 2, Champonniere discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the mobile wireless network node is mounted on a vehicle (paragraph [0066], lines 10-11, relay devices may be mounted on vehicles) and the location status of the UE relative to the mobile wireless network node comprises inside or outside of the vehicle (paragraph [0067], lines 1-4, based on whether the US is inside or outside the vehicle). With respect to claim 3, Champonniere discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein the criterion to determine the location status of the UE includes at least one of: a measurement result on a reference signal from the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0127]); a variation of the measurement result on the reference signal from the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0127]); at least one of a speed or moving direction of the UE and the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0131); or an indication from an application layer of the UE (paragraph [0115]). With respect to claim 4, Champonniere discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein, to determine the location status of the UE, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to at least one of: determine the location status of the UE periodically (paragraph [0130]); determine the location status of the UE in response to a request from the mobile wireless network node or the BS (paragraph [0130]); determine the location status of the UE when the UE detects the mobile wireless network node or detects a cell of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0127]); or determine the location status of the UE when the UE has accessed the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0115]). With respect to claim 5, Champonniere discloses the UE of claim 1, wherein, to transmit the location status of the UE to at least one of the mobile wireless network node or the BS, the at least one processor is configured to cause the UE to transmit the location status of the UE to at least one of: the mobile wireless network node when the UE performs an access to the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0130]); the BS in response to a request for the location status of the UE from the BS (paragraph [0070], lines 14-20, base station may determine whether the UE is inside or outside the vehicle); or at least one of the mobile wireless network node or the BS in response to a change in the location status of the UE (paragraph [0130]). With respect to claims 6 and 16, Champonniere discloses a mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0117], relay device 205) and methd, comprising: at least one memory (paragraph [0117], relay device 205); and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (paragraph [0117], relay device 205) and configured to cause the mobile wireless network node to: determine to access a parent node based on a first indication broadcast by a cell of the parent node (paragraph [0118], lines 1-6, air interface established with base station 105-a), wherein the mobile wireless network node is allowed to serve configured as a mobile relay node between the parent node and a user equipment (UE) (paragraph [0118], lines 6-18, relay device 205-a may provide Uu connection 210 to the wireless network); and transmit a second indication to the parent node, wherein the second indication indicates a mobile attribute of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0119], lines 11-17). With respect to claims 7 and 18, Champonniere discloses the mobile wireless network node of claims 6 and 16, wherein the first indication indicates at least one of: whether the parent node is a base station (BS) or a relay node (paragraph [0137], relay identifier); the parent node is the BS (paragraph [0140]); whether the cell supports the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0137], relay identifier); the cell supports the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0137], relay identifier); or a hop count of the cell. With respect to claims 8 and 19, Champonniere discloses the mobile wireless network node of claims 6 and 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the mobile wireless network node to at least one of the following: broadcast an indication indicating the mobile attribute of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0070], broadcast location reports); or transmit a reference signal specific for determining a location status of the UE (paragraph [0127]). With respect to claims 9 and 20, Champonniere discloses the mobile wireless network node of claims 6 and 16, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the mobile wireless network node to transmit, to the parent node, at least one of: at least one working mode supported by the mobile wireless network node, wherein the at least one working mode comprises a public working mode (paragraph [0090], unrestricted access) or a private working mode (paragraph [0090], closed subscriber group); a current working mode of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0113]); or a list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0136], if the user subscribes). With respect to claim 10, Champonniere discloses the mobile wireless network node of claim 6, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the mobile wireless network node to at least one of: receive a working mode configuration from the parent node (paragraph [0136], report to relay device); periodically transmit, to the parent node, a list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0130]); transmit, to the parent node, the list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node in response to a change in the list of UEs (paragraph [0136], option to subscribe); or transmit, to the parent node, the change in the list of UEs (paragraph [0136], option to subscribe). With respect to claim 11, Champonniere discloses a base station (BS) for wireless communication (paragraph [0117], base station 105-a), comprising: at least one memory (paragraph [0117], base station 105-a); and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory (paragraph [0117], base station 105-a) and configured to cause the BS to: broadcast a first indication indicating that a mobile wireless network node is supported (paragraph [0140], 105-b may transmit control signaling configuring the relay device 310), wherein the mobile wireless network node is configured as a mobile relay node (paragraph [0117], relay device 205) between the BS and a user equipment (UE) (paragraph [0117], UE 115-a); and receive a second indication from the mobile wireless network node, wherein the second indication indicates a mobile attribute of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0145], connected mode management). With respect to claim 12, Champonniere discloses the BS of claim 11, wherein, to broadcast the first indication, the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to broadcast in a cell of the BS at least one of: whether the cell is located in the BS or a relay node (paragraph [0134], location reports); the cell is located in the BS (paragraph [0134], location reports); whether the cell supports the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0137], relay identifier); the cell supports the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0137], relay identifier); or a hop count of the cell. With respect to claim 13, Champonniere discloses the BS of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to: transmit at least one of a handover request or a handover required message to handover the mobile wireless network node to another BS (paragraph [0159], handover procedure), wherein the at least one of the handover request or the handover required message comprises the mobile attribute of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0159], handover procedure). With respect to claim 14, Champonniere discloses the BS of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to receive, from the mobile wireless network node, at least one of: at least one working mode supported by the mobile wireless network node, wherein the at least one working mode comprises a public working mode (paragraph [0090], unrestricted access) or a private working mode (paragraph [0090], closed subscriber group); a current working mode of the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0113]); or a list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0136], if the user subscribes). With respect to claim 15, Champonniere discloses the BS of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the BS to at least one of the following: transmit a working mode configuration to the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0136], report to relay device); periodically receive a list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node (paragraph [0130]); receive the list of UEs allowed to access the mobile wireless network node in response to a change in the list of UEs (paragraph [0136], option to subscribe); or receive the change in the list of UEs (paragraph [0136], option to subscribe). Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Chaponniere Patent no. 12,445,913 Garcia Pat. Pub. 2024/0373312 Andrae Pat. Pub. 2025/0081178 Cunningham Pat. Pub. 2020/0043342 Smith Pat. Pub. 2019/0297454 Teyeb Pat. Pub. 2013/0084884 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BLAKE J RUBIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3802. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached on 571-272-4001. 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. 6/12/26 /BLAKE J RUBIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
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Prosecution Timeline

Jul 23, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 16, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102
Jul 10, 2026
Interview Requested

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
76%
Grant Probability
73%
With Interview (-2.9%)
3y 2m (~1y 2m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 602 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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