Prosecution Insights
Last updated: October 02, 2026
Application No. 18/861,551

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASUREMENT REPORT CONSIDERING HEIGHT IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Oct 29, 2024
Priority
May 02, 2022 — provisional 63/337,178 +1 more
Examiner
NGUYEN, THE HY
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
LG Electronics Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
74%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
9m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 74% — above average
74%
Career Allowance Rate
244 granted / 328 resolved
+14.4% vs TC avg
Strong +31% interview lift
Without
With
+31.3%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 8m
Avg Prosecution
36 currently pending
Career history
358
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.9%
-37.1% vs TC avg
§103
60.2%
+20.2% vs TC avg
§102
20.2%
-19.8% vs TC avg
§112
15.3%
-24.7% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 328 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
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 . Allowable Subject Matter Claim(s) 8-9 is/are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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. (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. Claim(s) 1-6, 10-11, 13-19, and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang et al. (US 2020/0187033 A1). Regarding claims 1 and 15, Tang discloses A method, comprising and A wireless device, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and at least one processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, and adapted to (Fig. 14, [0163]: communication apparatus 60 / terminal includes a storage module 603, a processing module 601, and a communications module 602): receiving, by a wireless device, information on a cell list associated with a height range (Fig. 8, [0098]: 403. The terminal receives the measurement configuration information sent by the network device. [0089]: the measurement configuration information includes at least … height configuration information. [0093]: The height configuration information includes height information and a reporting trigger hysteresis value corresponding to the height information, the height information includes a plurality of height ranges, and the plurality of height ranges each may correspond to one reporting trigger hysteresis value. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list. After receiving the measurement configuration information, the terminal measures the neighboring cell. Only when a measurement result that is of a cell in the cell list and that is obtained by the terminal through measurement meets the first condition, the terminal reports the measurement result of the cell in the cell list to the network device by using the foregoing reporting trigger hysteresis value related to the height configuration information); monitoring, by the wireless device, a current height of the wireless device (Fig. 8, [0112]: the terminal first needs to determine a height of the terminal and determine a first reporting trigger hysteresis value according to the height. [0113]: Therefore, the terminal determines the first reporting trigger hysteresis value by using a current height of the terminal); setting, by the wireless device, a measurement report while the current height of the wireless device is in the height range (Fig. 8, [0115]: after the terminal determines the height of the terminal, the terminal compares the height of the terminal with the plurality of height ranges, and determines that the height of the terminal is within a first height range, and the first height range corresponds to the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. In this case, the terminal reports the measurement report to the network device if the terminal determines that the duration in which the measurement result of the first neighboring cell meets the first condition reaches the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. For example, it is assumed that the first height range is [0, 100 m], the corresponding first reporting trigger hysteresis value is 80 ms, a second height range is (100, 200 m], and a corresponding second reporting trigger hysteresis value is 160 ms. When the terminal is at a height of 90 m, a corresponding height range is the first height range, and the first height range corresponds to the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. In this case, a reporting trigger hysteresis value obtained by the terminal is the first reporting trigger hysteresis value); determining, by the wireless device, whether the measurement report includes measurement results of a first cell based on the cell list (Fig. 8, [0100]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list. After receiving the measurement configuration information, the terminal measures the neighboring cell. Only when a measurement result that is of a cell in the cell list and that is obtained by the terminal through measurement meets the first condition, the terminal reports the measurement result of the cell in the cell list to the network device by using the foregoing reporting trigger hysteresis value related to the height configuration information); and transmitting, by the wireless device, the measurement report (Fig. 8, [0102]: 405. The terminal reports the measurement report to the network device according to the measurement configuration information. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list. After receiving the measurement configuration information, the terminal measures the neighboring cell. Only when a measurement result that is of a cell in the cell list and that is obtained by the terminal through measurement meets the first condition, the terminal reports the measurement result of the cell in the cell list to the network device by using the foregoing reporting trigger hysteresis value related to the height configuration information). Regarding claim(s) 2 and 16, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 15 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the measurement report includes measurement results of the first cell based on the first cell being included in an allowed cell list ([0100]-[0101]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell according to the measurement configuration information. It should be noted that the measurement configuration information includes the report configuration identifier used by the terminal to report the neighboring cell measurement result, and further includes the measurement object identifier used by the terminal to measure the neighboring cell, and the specific configuration information content. The configuration information content includes the measurement object information and the report configuration information. The measurement object identifier corresponds to one measurement object configuration item. In other words, the network device configures, in the measurement object configuration item, the object that needs to be measured by the terminal. The measurement object configuration item may include the … the cell list). Regarding claim(s) 3 and 17, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 15as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the measurement report includes measurement results of the first cell based on the first cell not being included in an excluded cell list ([0100]-[0101]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell according to the measurement configuration information. It should be noted that the measurement configuration information includes the report configuration identifier used by the terminal to report the neighboring cell measurement result, and further includes the measurement object identifier used by the terminal to measure the neighboring cell, and the specific configuration information content. The configuration information content includes the measurement object information and the report configuration information. The measurement object identifier corresponds to one measurement object configuration item. In other words, the network device configures, in the measurement object configuration item, the object that needs to be measured by the terminal. The measurement object configuration item may include the … the cell blacklist). Regarding claim(s) 4 and 18, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 15 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the measurement report does not include measurement results of a second cell based on the second cell being included in an excluded cell list ([0100]-[0101]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell according to the measurement configuration information. It should be noted that the measurement configuration information includes the report configuration identifier used by the terminal to report the neighboring cell measurement result, and further includes the measurement object identifier used by the terminal to measure the neighboring cell, and the specific configuration information content. The configuration information content includes the measurement object information and the report configuration information. The measurement object identifier corresponds to one measurement object configuration item. In other words, the network device configures, in the measurement object configuration item, the object that needs to be measured by the terminal. The measurement object configuration item may include the … the cell blacklist). Regarding claim(s) 5 and 19, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 and 15 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the measurement report does not include measurement results of a second cell based on the second cell not being included in an allowed cell list ([0100]-[0101]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell according to the measurement configuration information. It should be noted that the measurement configuration information includes the report configuration identifier used by the terminal to report the neighboring cell measurement result, and further includes the measurement object identifier used by the terminal to measure the neighboring cell, and the specific configuration information content. The configuration information content includes the measurement object information and the report configuration information. The measurement object identifier corresponds to one measurement object configuration item. In other words, the network device configures, in the measurement object configuration item, the object that needs to be measured by the terminal. The measurement object configuration item may include the … the cell list). Regarding claim(s) 6, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the cell list includes an allowed cell list and/or an excluded cell list ([0100]-[0101]: 404. The terminal measures the neighboring cell according to the measurement configuration information. It should be noted that the measurement configuration information includes the report configuration identifier used by the terminal to report the neighboring cell measurement result, and further includes the measurement object identifier used by the terminal to measure the neighboring cell, and the specific configuration information content. The configuration information content includes the measurement object information and the report configuration information. The measurement object identifier corresponds to one measurement object configuration item. In other words, the network device configures, in the measurement object configuration item, the object that needs to be measured by the terminal. The measurement object configuration item may include the … the cell list, the cell blacklist). Regarding claim(s) 10, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the wireless device is a mobile device capable of vertical mobility (Fig. 2, [0061]: terminal shown in FIG. 2 may be a drone. [0112]: the terminal first needs to determine a height of the terminal). Regarding claim(s) 11, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the height range is indicated by a maximum height and/or a minimum height ([0115]: the height configuration information includes height information and a reporting trigger hysteresis value corresponding to the height information, the height information includes a plurality of height ranges, and the plurality of height ranges each correspond to one reporting trigger hysteresis value... For example, it is assumed that the first height range is [0, 100 m], the corresponding first reporting trigger hysteresis value is 80 ms, a second height range is (100, 200 m], and a corresponding second reporting trigger hysteresis value is 160 ms.). Regarding claim(s) 13, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the information on the cell list associated with the height range is included in a measurement configuration ([0089]: the measurement configuration information includes at least … height configuration information. [0093]: The height configuration information includes height information and a reporting trigger hysteresis value corresponding to the height information, the height information includes a plurality of height ranges, and the plurality of height ranges each may correspond to one reporting trigger hysteresis value. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list). Regarding claim(s) 14, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang discloses wherein the wireless device is in communication with at least one of a user equipment, a network, or an autonomous vehicle other than the wireless device (Fig. 2, [0060]: The terminal communicates with the network device by using a wireless communications technology. Fig. 8, [0097]: 402. The network device sends the measurement configuration information to the terminal. [0098]: 403. The terminal receives the measurement configuration information sent by the network device). Regarding claim 32, Tang discloses A base station, comprising: a transceiver; a memory; and a processor operatively coupled to the transceiver and the memory, and adapted to (Fig. 16, [0171]: communications apparatus 80 / network device includes a storage module 803, a processing module 801, and a communications module 802): provide, to a wireless device, information on a cell list associated with a height range (Fig. 8, [0097]: 402. The network device sends the measurement configuration information to the terminal. [0098]: 403. The terminal receives the measurement configuration information sent by the network device. [0089]: the measurement configuration information includes at least … height configuration information. [0093]: The height configuration information includes height information and a reporting trigger hysteresis value corresponding to the height information, the height information includes a plurality of height ranges, and the plurality of height ranges each may correspond to one reporting trigger hysteresis value. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list. After receiving the measurement configuration information, the terminal measures the neighboring cell. Only when a measurement result that is of a cell in the cell list and that is obtained by the terminal through measurement meets the first condition, the terminal reports the measurement result of the cell in the cell list to the network device by using the foregoing reporting trigger hysteresis value related to the height configuration information); and receive, from the wireless device, measurement report which is set based on the cell list and a height of the wireless device (Fig. 8, [0141]: 406. The network device receives the measurement report reported by the terminal. [0102]: 405. The terminal reports the measurement report to the network device according to the measurement configuration information. [0122]: the measurement configuration information further includes the cell list. After receiving the measurement configuration information, the terminal measures the neighboring cell. Only when a measurement result that is of a cell in the cell list and that is obtained by the terminal through measurement meets the first condition, the terminal reports the measurement result of the cell in the cell list to the network device by using the foregoing reporting trigger hysteresis value related to the height configuration information. [0115]: after the terminal determines the height of the terminal, the terminal compares the height of the terminal with the plurality of height ranges, and determines that the height of the terminal is within a first height range, and the first height range corresponds to the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. In this case, the terminal reports the measurement report to the network device if the terminal determines that the duration in which the measurement result of the first neighboring cell meets the first condition reaches the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. For example, it is assumed that the first height range is [0, 100 m], the corresponding first reporting trigger hysteresis value is 80 ms, a second height range is (100, 200 m], and a corresponding second reporting trigger hysteresis value is 160 ms. When the terminal is at a height of 90 m, a corresponding height range is the first height range, and the first height range corresponds to the first reporting trigger hysteresis value. In this case, a reporting trigger hysteresis value obtained by the terminal is the first reporting trigger hysteresis value). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status. 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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang et al. (US 2020/0187033 A1) in view of Park et al. (US 2023/0388874 A1). Regarding claim(s) 7, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang does not disclose, but Park discloses receiving, by the wireless device, information on a first cell list associated with a first height range and a second cell list associated with a second height range ([0257]: The neighbor cell information may comprise a first field indicating that the first cell has the at least one first neighbor cell at the first height level and/or a second field indicating that the first cell has the at least one second neighbor cell at the second height level … the second base station may send, to the wireless device and based on the neighbor cell information, a measurement configuration for the first cell, the at least one first neighbor cell (e.g., based on wireless device being at the first height level), the at least one second neighbor cell, and/or the like), wherein a first cell is included in the first cell list and a second cell is included in the second cell list ([0257]: first cell has the at least one first neighbor cell … the first cell has the at least one second neighbor cell). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the measurement configuration information, as taught by Tang, to further include a measurement configuration for a first cell, the at least one first neighbor cell, the at least one second neighbor cell, etc. based on a first field indicating that the first cell has the at least one first neighbor cell at the first height level and/or a second field indicating that the first cell has the at least one second neighbor cell at the second height level, as taught by Park. Doing so allows the wireless device to report measurement comprising at least one measurement result of the first cell so that the second base station can determine to handover the wireless device to the first cell (Park: [0257]). Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tang et al. (US 2020/0187033 A1) in view of Kim et al. (US 2016/0242055 A1). Regarding claim(s) 12, Tang discloses all features of claim(s) 1 as outlined above. Tang does not disclose, but Kim discloses wherein the cell list is configured per frequency ([0009]: The cell list may include a list of cells per a frequency). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cell list, as taught by Tang, to include a list of cells per a frequency, as taught by Kim. Doing so allows the UE to perform measurements on a frequency corresponding to the cell list if at least one cell in the cell list is detected (Kim: [0007]-[0008]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THE HY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-3813. The examiner can normally be reached on Mo-Fr: 8am-4pm. 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, Joseph Avellino, can be reached on (571) 272-3905. 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. /THE HY NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2478 TheHy.Nguyen@USPTO.gov
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Prosecution Timeline

Oct 29, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 13, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
74%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+31.3%)
2y 8m (~9m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 328 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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