Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/966,032

UNIFIED MULTIPLE ACCESS (MA) BASED SYSTEM FOR UPLINK TRANSMISSION OF DATA BY MULTIPLE USERS

Non-Final OA §103§112
Filed
Dec 02, 2024
Priority
Aug 06, 2024 — IN 202431059503
Examiner
TIEU, JANICE N
Art Unit
2633
Tech Center
2600 — Communications
Assignee
Indian Institute Of Technology Kharagpur
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
5m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allowance Rate
495 granted / 549 resolved
+28.2% vs TC avg
Moderate +11% lift
Without
With
+10.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 1m
Avg Prosecution
13 currently pending
Career history
565
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
2.1%
-37.9% vs TC avg
§103
77.7%
+37.7% vs TC avg
§102
5.9%
-34.1% vs TC avg
§112
7.5%
-32.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 549 resolved cases

Office Action

§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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement filed on 12/02/2024 has been considered and placed of record in the file. Oath/Declaration The Oath or Declaration is being considered by examiner and complies with PTO requirements. Drawings The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the unified multiple access based system comprises user interface integrated transmitter modules, waveform modulator, and processor must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. The drawings are objected to because FIG. 1-3 are very blurry that the details within the figure can’t be read. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance. Specification The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: Equations 2-9 in pages 7-8 should be resubmitted because they can’t be read. In page 11, “gridstructureis” should be changed to – grid structure is – in line 8; “transmita” should be changed to – transmit a – in line 11; and “loadedsparesely” should be changed to – loaded sparely – in line 26. Equation 1 should be resubmitted. In page 12, “andno” should be changed to – and no – in line 2; and equations 2-5 should be resubmitted. In page 13, equations 6-9 should be resubmitted. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Objections Claims 5-6 and 8-10 are objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 5, define “OFTS”, “OTSM”, “SC”, and “OFDM”. Regarding claim 6, define “OTFS” and “OTSM”; and resubmit equation 1. Regarding claim 8, resubmit equations 2-6. Regarding claim 9, resubmit equations 7-8. Regarding claim 10, define “SC” in line 1; resubmit equation 9; and define “OFDM” in line 7. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites the limitation "the unified two-dimensional data grid structure" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-13 are rejected as being dependent on the rejected independent claim 1. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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) 1-2 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sathyanarayan et al. US 11,848,810 in view of Rakib et al. US 2017/0033899. Consider claim 1, Sathyanarayan discloses An unified multiple access (MA) based system for uplink transmission of data by multiple users (see FIG. 19, col. 18 lines 56-65) comprising user interface integrated transmitter modules for transmitting the data from multiple user transmitters over waveforms through a cooperative unified data grid structure including grid points (see FIG. 2-3, 10, 18 and 112, col. 9 lines 5-37, wherein user interface integrated transmitter modules i.e. phone 11220 integrated transmitter modules i.e. components within FIG. 10, for transmitting data from users 1, 2, 3 over OTFS waveforms through cooperative unified data grid structure including grid points i.e. FIG. 2 in which multiple users cooperatively unify data grid structure), said unified data grid structure including each user transmitter allocation of a few non-overlapping grid points for loading respective data bearing symbols, with zeros loaded onto unallocated grid points (see FIG. 2-3, col. 10 lines 33-35, wherein each user transmitter allocation of a few non-overlapping grid points i.e. users 1, 2, 3 allocation, for loading respective data bearing symbols, with zeros loaded onto unallocated grid points i.e. zero padded); said each user transmitter selectively configured to transmit a sparsely loaded grid resembling to the unified two-dimensional data grid structure involving data-bearing Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) (see FIG. 2-3 and 10, col. 9 lines 16-37 and col. 10 lines 33-35, wherein each user transmitter configured to transmit a sparsely loaded grid i.e. FIG. 3, resembling the two-dimensional data grid structure involving data-bearing QAM), where a part of available grid points of the grid as allocated is loaded with QAM symbols and remaining grid points are loaded with zero symbols (see FIG. 3 and col. 10 lines 33-35, wherein part of available grid points is loaded with QAM symbols and the remaining are loaded with zeros); waveform modulator for waveform modulation of said sparsely loaded grid as per the waveforms enabling transmission for multi-antenna reception of the waveforms to a base station or an access point (see FIG. 10 and 21, col. 9 lines 61-65, col. 19 lines 12-15, wherein OFDM modulator modulated the sparsely loaded grid for transmission for multiple antennas to base station). However Sathyanarayan does not explicitly disclose waveform modulator corresponding to said each user transmitter. Rakib teaches waveform modulator corresponding to said each user transmitter (see FIG. 4A and ¶ [0390], wherein OTFS modulator 430 corresponding to each user transmitter). Rakib further discloses improving performance of internet of thing devices (see ¶ [0009]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify the invention of Sathyanarayan, and to include waveform modulator corresponding to said each user transmitter, as taught by Rakib for the purpose of improving performance of internet of thing devices. Consider claim 2, Sathyanarayan discloses wherein waveforms includes OTFS (orthogonal time frequency space) (see FIG. 2 and col. 9 line 4). Consider claim 13, Rakib discloses applicable across wide range of uplink communications in all terrestrial and non terrestrial digital Wireless Communication Systems (see ¶ [0007), preferably suiting uplink communication of low power and reduced capability Internet of Things (loT) devices enabling low transmission complexity and power consumption (see ¶ [0006-0007]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANICE N TIEU whose telephone number is (571)270-1888. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:30. 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, Sam Ahn can be reached at (571) 272-3044. 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. /JANICE N TIEU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 02, 2024
Application Filed
Apr 30, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §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
90%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+10.7%)
2y 1m (~5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 549 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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