Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 16, 2026
Application No. 18/855,886

TERMINAL, RADIO COMMUNICATION METHOD, AND BASE STATION

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Oct 10, 2024
Priority
Apr 20, 2022 — nonprovisional of PCTJP2022018325
Examiner
WONG, WARNER
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
89%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
96%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 89% — above average
89%
Career Allowance Rate
959 granted / 1073 resolved
+29.4% vs TC avg
Moderate +6% lift
Without
With
+6.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
29 currently pending
Career history
1100
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
6.5%
-33.5% vs TC avg
§103
58.3%
+18.3% vs TC avg
§102
23.2%
-16.8% vs TC avg
§112
2.7%
-37.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1073 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Specification The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed, such as “Indicating Multiple Transmission Configuration Indication States for Multiple Signals”. 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 7-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yuan (US 2025/0062817). Regarding claim 7, Yuan describes s terminal (fig. 1 UE 120) comprising: a receiver that receives single downlink control information (DCI) indicating a plurality of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be applied to a plurality of types of channels or reference signals (para. 82, UE 120 receives from base station 110a DCI transmitted on the PDCCH with which indicates the first TCI state and the second TCI state). The first and the second TCI states may be indicated using a [unified] TCI field in the DCI. See also fig. 10 steps 1010-1020); a processor that performs a beam failure recovery (BFR) procedure, wherein the processor performs an update of each of the plurality of TCI states to be applied to the plurality of types of channels or reference signals, after a given period elapse from completion of the beam failure recovery procedure (para. 7, UE comprising processor indicates/transmits beam failure of TRP in a BFR message & receives PDCCH communication (BFR procedure). Then UE then (after completion of BFR procedure elapsed) sets new beam for the TRP for one or more channels or reference signals with the above-mentioned unified TCI state. See also fig. 10 steps 1010-1040). Regarding claim 8, Yuan describes: a transmitter that transmits capability information indicating support of the update (para. 87, in response to reception of PDCCH comprising DCI with TCI states, UE 120 transmits an ACK or NACK as a feedback (indicating capability to support of the TCI state updates). Regarding claim 10, Yuan describes a base station (fig. 1 base station 110a) comprising: a transmitter that transmits single downlink control information (DCI) indicating a plurality of transmission configuration indication (TCI) states to be applied to a plurality of types of channels or reference signals (para. 82, base station 110a sends to UE 120 DCI transmitted on the PDCCH with which indicates the first TCI state and the second TCI state. The first and the second TCI states may be indicated using a [unified] TCI field in the DCI. See also fig. 11 step 1110-1120); and a processor that performs a beam failure recovery procedure, wherein the processor performs an update of each of the plurality of TCI states to be applied to the plurality of types of channels or reference signals, after a given period elapses from completion of the beam failure recovery procedure (para. 8, network node being base station comprising processor receives beam failure of TRP in a BFR message & transmits PDCCH communication to UE (BFR procedure), which then (after completion of BFR procedure elapsed) sets new beam for the TRP for one or more channels or reference signals with the above-mentioned unified TCI state. See also fig. 10 steps 1110-1140). Claim 9 is a method for terminal claim comprising limitation recited in apparatus (terminal) claim 9. Hence, it is rejected under the same rationale. Claim 11 is a system claim comprising terminal and base station with limitations found in terminal claim 7 and base station claim 10. Hence, it is rejected under the same rationale. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Cirik (US 2022/0225135) describing a per-node/per-TRP beam failure detection and a per-node/per-TRP beam failure recovery performed as part of the beam failure recovery procedure (para. 204), with a subset of parameters, associated with at least one first node of a plurality of nodes, may be selectively updated for a resource (e.g., a downlink channel resource) associated with a plurality of parameters associated with the plurality of nodes (para. 210), * Yi (Us 20230337313) describing uplink TCI state update after a beam recover process (title), Rong (US 2013/0269041) describing multi-beam operations where if the TCI state of the PDSCH DMRS is updated through DCI signaling, the TCI states of the other channels in the group are also updated to the same TCI state of the PDSCH DMRS (para. 98), where beam management procedures are used to update transmission configuration states associated with the uplink/downlink transmissions. Therefore, there is a need for apparatus and methods for more efficient beam management for multi-beam operation situations in (para. 3), and transmitting, by a network controller to a communication device, a first control message comprising a first indicator indicating a plurality of target elements, wherein the plurality of target elements instruct the communication device to share a plurality of quasi co-location (QCL) information or a plurality of spatial filter information when receiving and/or transmitting on the plurality of target elements which a common beam is used for communications across multiple component carriers (para. 4), Yuan (US 2025/0212293) describing a terminal device receives from the network device first indication information indicating a common transmission configuration indicator TCI state, wherein different common TCI states correspond to different control resource set pool indexes (abstract & fig. 1), Jang (US 2024/0275467) describing UE receiving a first configuration associated with a unified transmission configuration indication (TCI) state and a second configuration associated with beam failure recovery, wherein the second configuration includes a first failure detection set associated with a first reference signal list and a second failure detection set associated with a second reference signal list; transmitting, based on the second configuration, information on a first reference signal in the first reference signal list and information on a second reference signal in the second reference signal list (para. 13), Xu (US 2024/0178959) describing UE receiving, by the wireless device, downlink control information (DCI) indicating a transmission configuration indicator (TCI) state applicable to downlink channel reception (abstract), * Yao (US 20240114579 ) describing methods for performing beam form recovery (BFR) using unified transmission configuration indicator (TCI) states (title & para. 2), and [0077] Under the unified TCI framework, it may be assumed that all DL channels and signals can use a unified beam state, *Kyung (US 2024/0072878) unified solution where In a first novel aspect, a set of reference signals (RSs) for BFD is configured for each BWP of a serving cell, and a maximum number of BFD RSs (N) per TRP for each BWP of a serving cell is configured. In a second novel aspect, for single DCI multi-TRP, the BFD RSs can be updated via MAC CE to reduce latency. In a third novel aspect, new RRC parameters for BFD RSs and candidate beam RSs are configured, with different sets of SSB/CSI-RS resources associated to each TRP, *Jin (US 2023/0328561) describing the plurality of TRP operations including a TCI state configuration, a TRP-based improvement scheme of as single DCI-based PDSCH transmission and multi-DCI-based PDSCH transmission through the plurality of TRPs, or the like. The cell-based beam failure detection/recovery operation may be configured by applying a beam configuration through the plurality of TRPs ( para. 127), Matsumura (US 2025/0081116) describing a terminal according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a receiving section that receives first information including a plurality of sets of a plurality of transmission power control parameters and second information related to a transmission configuration indication (TCI) state corresponding to one of the sets (abstract), and Cirik (US 2022/0109541) describing activating 1+ TCI states (abstract & fig. 18-20). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WARNER WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-8197. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7am - 3:30pm. 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, Ian Moore can be reached at 571-272-3085. 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. WARNER WONG Primary Examiner Art Unit 2469 /WARNER WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 10, 2024
Application Filed
Sep 17, 2025
Response after Non-Final Action
Jul 29, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (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
89%
Grant Probability
96%
With Interview (+6.4%)
2y 8m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1073 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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