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 .
Priority
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994)
The disclosure of the prior-filed applications, Application Nos. 63/110,729 and 63/109,117, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application. The provisional applications do not have enough support for the entirety of claims 1 and 23. In particular, the provisional applications do not disclose 1. evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device, where each of the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network is associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to the nominal capacity of the current control channel and 2. selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device, and reconfiguring the wireless device with the selected Scell and/or BWP configuration. Accordingly, claims 1-4, 6-8, 10, 12, 14-20 and 22-25 are not entitled to the benefit of the prior application Nos. 63/110,729 and 63/109,117.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 3-4, 6, 10, 18-20 and 23 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “the evaluated energy consumptions”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is suggested to introduce “evaluating energy consumptions” earlier in the claim. Similar objection applies to claim 23.
Claim 1 recites “and/or”. For clarity purposes, the examiner suggest using the phrase of “at least one of”. Similar objection applies to claims 3, 6, 10, 18-20 and 23.
Claim 4 recites “according claim 1”. For clarity purposes, it is suggested to recite as “according to claim 1” .
Claim 19 recites “the output of the model”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. It is suggested to introduce “an output of the model” earlier in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim 22 recites “A computer program product comprising a computer program for performing a method according to claim 1, and a computer readable means on which the computer program is stored”. The examiner notes a computer program product comprising a computer program is not a “process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter.” Those four categories define the explicit scope and reach of subject matter patentable under 35 U.S.C. § 101; thus, such a computer program product comprising a computer program cannot be patentable subject matter. (In re Nuijten, 84 USPQ2d 1495 (Fed. Cir. 2007)).
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 1-4, 6-8, 10, 12 and 14-20 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites “control channel resource deficit based on the control channel load and on the control channel capacity data”. It is unclear what is the method step to be performed, rendering the claim indefinite.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-4, 6-8, 10, 14, 18, 20 and 22-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vargantwar et al. (US 2020/0413284 A1, hereinafter “Vargantwar”) in view of Yang et al. (US 2021/0337612 A1, hereinafter “Yang”).
As to claim 1:
Vargantwar discloses a computer implemented method, performed in a network node, for configuring one or more secondary component carriers, Scells, and/or at least one bandwidth part, BWP, in a wireless access network for a wireless device (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]), the method comprising
obtaining control channel capacity data indicative of a nominal capacity of a current control channel of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020] The examiner interprets the base station obtaining the current capacity used by the primary cell (licensed spectrum) in order to make the determination to use a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum)),
determining a control channel load of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020]),
evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like’; [0021] “prior to gaining access to, and transmitting over, an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, a transmitting device may need to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to contend for access to the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band. The LBT procedure may include performing a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to determine whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available” [0010]-[0011]), where each of the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network is associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to the nominal capacity of the current control channel (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”’; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020] The examiner interprets the secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) to be associated with an increased capacity as it adds more capacity to the network than the primary cell (licensed spectrum) alone),
control channel resource deficit based on the control channel load and on the control channel capacity data, and, in response to detecting control channel resource deficit, selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] The examiner interprets the current conditions on the primary cell (licensed spectrum) are not ideal based on capacity and load of the primary cell, and in response a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) is activated to increase capacity and offload), and
reconfiguring the wireless device with the selected Scell and/or BWP configuration (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021] “In this way, by assigning foreground traffic to the primary cell and assigning background traffic to the secondary cell, the base station can use the unlicensed spectrum associated with the secondary cell to more efficiently offload traffic from the primary cell, to boost a downlink data rate for the UE, and/or the like”; [0014]).
Vargantwar does not explicitly disclose in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device; and based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device.
However, Yang discloses evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device (“a BS operating as a master cell in a multi-cell connectivity configuration with a UE may receive UE assistance information from the UE and may identify a process, for adding a secondary cell to the multi-cell connectivity configuration, that is optimized for the UE's particular implementation, for the UE's battery consumption, or for the UE's traffic quality of service parameters, among other examples”; [0041]); and selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device (“a BS operating as a master cell in a multi-cell connectivity configuration with a UE may receive UE assistance information from the UE and may identify a process, for adding a secondary cell to the multi-cell connectivity configuration, that is optimized for the UE's particular implementation, for the UE's battery consumption, or for the UE's traffic quality of service parameters, among other examples. This may increase throughput for the UE, may decrease communication latency for the UE, or may increase the battery life of the UE, among other examples. Moreover, the BS may receive the UE assistance information from the UE and may add a secondary cell”; [0041]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yang into Vargantwar’s system/method as it would allow evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device; and selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to manage the addition of new secondary cells more effectively as well as increase the battery life of the UE. (Yang; [0041]).
As to claim 2:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses wherein the control channel capacity data and the control channel load relates to the capacity and the control traffic load (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] The examiner interprets the current conditions on the primary cell (licensed spectrum) are not ideal based on capacity and load of the primary cell, and in response a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) is activated to increase capacity and offload)) of a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, of the wireless access network (“the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020]).
As to claim 3:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses obtaining the control channel capacity data based on a current configuration of Scells and/or a numerology and/or search space configuration of active BWPs in the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020] The examiner interprets the base station obtaining the current capacity used by the primary cell (licensed spectrum) in order to make the determination to use a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum). Note: the current configuration of the secondary cell is inactive).
As to claim 4:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses obtaining the control channel capacity data (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]) based on a measure of spectral efficiency for communicating over the control channel (“spectral efficiency in wireless networks”; [0009]; [0019] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020]).
As to claim 6:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses determining the control channel load at least in part based on any of: a number of connected wireless devices in the wireless access network, a data traffic load of the wireless access network, a physical downlink shared channel, PDSCH, utilization in the wireless access network, a scheduling rate of the wireless access network, and/or a physical uplink shared channel, PDSCH, utilization of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]-[0020]).
As to claim 7:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses comprising determining the control channel load at least in part based on a radio link quality associated with one or more wireless devices in the wireless access network (“offloading traffic from the licensed frequency band to the unlicensed frequency band to improve capacity, boost a data rate for the UE, increase coverage, and/or the like”; [0022]; [0016]).
As to claim 8:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses determining the control channel load of the wireless access network at least in part based on data traffic characteristics of the wireless access network (“the secondary cell to more efficiently offload traffic from the primary cell, to boost a downlink data rate for the UE”; [0014]; [0016]).
As to claim 10:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses wherein the control channel capacity data and the control channel load relates to the capacity and the load of a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of the wireless access network and/or a physical uplink shared channel, PUSCH, of the wireless access network (“secondary cell(s) can be opportunistically activated and/or deactivated as desired to provide additional downlink and/or uplink capacity, offload traffic from the primary cell, and/or the like, which conserves network resources in the primary cell, allows the base station to handle larger traffic loads than could be handled via the licensed frequency band alone, improves user experience by enabling faster data rates via the downlink and/or uplink carrier aggregation”; [0016]; [0020]-[0021]).
As to claim 14:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses activating one or more additional Scells in the wireless system in response to detecting a control channel resource deficit (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]; [0016]; [0009] “In this way, by assigning foreground traffic to the primary cell and assigning background traffic to the secondary cell, the base station can use the unlicensed spectrum associated with the secondary cell to more efficiently offload traffic from the primary cell, to boost a downlink data rate for the UE, and/or the like”; [0014] The examiner interprets the current conditions on the primary cell (licensed spectrum) are not ideal based on capacity and load of the primary cell, and in response a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) is activated to increase capacity and offload).
As to claim 18:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses reconfiguring the one or more Scells and/or the at least one BWP based on a frequency range of operation of the Scells and/or the BWPs and on a frequency range of operation of one or more radio transceiver circuits of the wireless device (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021] “In this way, by assigning foreground traffic to the primary cell and assigning background traffic to the secondary cell, the base station can use the unlicensed spectrum associated with the secondary cell to more efficiently offload traffic from the primary cell, to boost a downlink data rate for the UE, and/or the like”; [0014] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band”; Fig. 3; [0020]; [0063]).
As to claim 20:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses detecting a control channel resource surplus based on the control channel load and on the control channel capacity data, and, in response to detecting a control channel resource surplus, reconfiguring the one or more Scells and/or the at least one BWP to decrease the control channel capacity of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021] “the secondary cell(s) can be opportunistically activated and/or deactivated as desired to improve performance”; [0022]; [0016]).
As to claim 22:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses a computer program product comprising a computer program for performing a method according to claim 1, and a computer readable means on which the computer program is stored (“Storage component 340 stores information and/or software related to the operation and use of device 300”; Fig. 3; [0060]-[0061]; [0064]-[0065]).
As to claim 23:
Vargantwar discloses a network node arranged to configure one or more secondary component carriers, Scells, and/or at least one bandwidth part, BWP, in a wireless access network for a wireless device (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]), the network node comprising processing circuitry (processor 320; see Fig. 3; [0059]-[0060]) configured to
obtain control channel capacity data indicative of a nominal capacity of a current control channel of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020] The examiner interprets the base station obtaining the current capacity used by the primary cell (licensed spectrum) in order to make the determination to use a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum)),
determine a control channel load of the wireless access network (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020]),
evaluate one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like’; [0021] “prior to gaining access to, and transmitting over, an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, a transmitting device may need to perform a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to contend for access to the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band. The LBT procedure may include performing a clear channel assessment (CCA) procedure to determine whether a channel of the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band is available” [0010]-[0011]), where each of the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network is associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to the nominal capacity of the current control channel (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”’; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] “the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020] The examiner interprets the secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) to be associated with an increased capacity as it adds more capacity to the network than the primary cell (licensed spectrum) alone),
detect control channel resource deficit based on the control channel load and on the control channel capacity data, and, in response to detecting control channel resource deficit,
select an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] The examiner interprets the current conditions on the primary cell (licensed spectrum) are not ideal based on capacity and load of the primary cell, and in response a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) is activated to increase capacity and offload), and reconfigure the wireless device with the selected Scell and/or BWP configuration (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021] “In this way, by assigning foreground traffic to the primary cell and assigning background traffic to the secondary cell, the base station can use the unlicensed spectrum associated with the secondary cell to more efficiently offload traffic from the primary cell, to boost a downlink data rate for the UE, and/or the like”; [0014]).
Vargantwar does not explicitly disclose in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device; and based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device.
However, Yang discloses evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device (“a BS operating as a master cell in a multi-cell connectivity configuration with a UE may receive UE assistance information from the UE and may identify a process, for adding a secondary cell to the multi-cell connectivity configuration, that is optimized for the UE's particular implementation, for the UE's battery consumption, or for the UE's traffic quality of service parameters, among other examples”; [0041]); and selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device (“a BS operating as a master cell in a multi-cell connectivity configuration with a UE may receive UE assistance information from the UE and may identify a process, for adding a secondary cell to the multi-cell connectivity configuration, that is optimized for the UE's particular implementation, for the UE's battery consumption, or for the UE's traffic quality of service parameters, among other examples. This may increase throughput for the UE, may decrease communication latency for the UE, or may increase the battery life of the UE, among other examples. Moreover, the BS may receive the UE assistance information from the UE and may add a secondary cell”; [0041]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yang into Vargantwar’s system/method as it would allow evaluating one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations of the wireless access network for the wireless device in terms of an energy consumption of the wireless device; and selecting an Scell and/or BWP configuration from the one or more alternative Scell and/or BWP configurations based on the evaluated energy consumptions of the wireless device. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to manage the addition of new secondary cells more effectively as well as increase the battery life of the UE. (Yang; [0041]).
As to claim 24:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above. Vargantwar further discloses wherein the control channel capacity data and the control channel load relates to the capacity and the control traffic load (“the base station may determine radio conditions in the primary cell and/or the secondary cell, information relating to an uplink and/or downlink traffic demand, and/or the like (e.g., based on one or more measurements received from the UE via the primary cell, measurements obtained at the base station, and/or the like). Accordingly, in some implementations, the base station may activate the secondary link between the UE and the secondary cell(s) based on determining that the one or more performance criteria are satisfied. For example, the secondary link may be activated based on determining that radio conditions in the secondary cell(s) are favorable, that radio conditions in the primary cell are unfavorable, that the UE has a high uplink and/or downlink traffic demand that could be satisfied by using the unlicensed spectrum to boost a data rate for the UE, that the primary cell has a high overall traffic demand that could be lessened by offloading some traffic to the secondary cell(s), and/or the like”; [0021]; [0016] “To accommodate increasing traffic demands, there have been various efforts to improve spectral efficiency in wireless networks and thereby increase network capacity … Another way to potentially improve network capacity is to expand system bandwidth”; [0009] The examiner interprets the current conditions on the primary cell (licensed spectrum) are not ideal based on capacity and load of the primary cell, and in response a secondary cell (unlicensed spectrum) is activated to increase capacity and offload)) of a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, of the wireless access network (“the primary cell may use the licensed frequency band to handle control plane signaling”; [0020]).
Claims 15-16 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vargantwar (US 2020/0413284 A1) in view of Yang (US 2021/0337612 A1) and further in view of Popescu et al. (US 2023/0099006 A1, hereinafter “Popescu”).
As to claim 15:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more hardware configurations associated with wireless devices connected to the wireless access network.
However, Popescu discloses selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more hardware configurations associated with wireless devices connected to the wireless access network (“adding/configuring an Scell, if multiple carriers are available, the base station first adds (or configures) one or more secondary cells (Scells) via an RRC protocol, providing configuration information that can help the UE to access the Scell at a later stage”; [0038] “when the network decides that it is advantageous to transmit over one or more Scell(s), the gNB selects the one or more Scells to activate”; [0039] “drain on the UE's battery, and also consume unnecessary control channel resources. Therefore it is essential that the base station select an appropriate Scell to activate for the UE, and invoke such activation only when needed so as to avoid such unnecessary wastage”; [0043]; [0062] note: battery = hardware).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Popescu into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more hardware configurations associated with wireless devices connected to the wireless access network. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to have better system capacity, a better user experience due to higher throughputs and lower latency, better battery consumption for the UE, since fewer Scells are needed for delivering the UE's data due to the optimal selection of Scells (Popescu; [0062]).
As to claim 16:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more estimated radio propagation channel qualities in the wireless access network.
However, Popescu discloses selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more estimated radio propagation channel qualities in the wireless access network (“adding/configuring an Scell, if multiple carriers are available, the base station first adds (or configures) one or more secondary cells (Scells) via an RRC protocol, providing configuration information that can help the UE to access the Scell at a later stage”; [0038] “when the network decides that it is advantageous to transmit over one or more Scell(s), the gNB selects the one or more Scells to activate”; [0039] “The UE may have widely differing channel quality on the different candidate Scells. To select the best Scell to activate for a UE, gNB needs to know the channel quality of the UE on the different Scells. One metric of channel quality is the spectral efficiency of the UE's radio channel. In 3GPP networks, the UE reports to the base station channel state information that indicates the achievable spectral efficiency, including CQI (Channel Quality Indicator), RI (rank indicator), PMI (precoding matrix indicator), etc. In addition the UE may report beam information (especially in massive MIMO cells), and may send signals such as sounding reference signals (SRS) to the base station which may also be helpful in inferring the channel quality or spectral efficiency.”; [0040]; [0062]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Popescu into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow selecting a set of active Scells out of a set of available Scells in the wireless access network based on one or more estimated radio propagation channel qualities in the wireless access network. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to have better system capacity, a better user experience due to higher throughputs and lower latency, better battery consumption for the UE, since fewer Scells are needed for delivering the UE's data due to the optimal selection of Scells (Popescu; [0062]).
As to claim 25:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the control channel capacity data and the control channel load relates to the capacity and the load of a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of the wireless access network.
However, Popescu discloses the control channel capacity data and the control channel load relates to the capacity and the load of a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of the wireless access network (“the capacity of the uplink control channel (e.g. PUCCH) that the UE”; [0045]; [0080] “However, the UE continues to report only channel measurements on the Pcell to the gNB (via PUCCH or PUSCH)”; [0038] “load on the Scells”; [0070]; [0093]-[0094]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Popescu into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow the control channel capacity data and the control channel load to relate to the capacity and the load of a physical uplink control channel, PUCCH, of the wireless access network. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to have better system capacity, a better user experience due to higher throughputs and lower latency, better battery consumption for the UE, since fewer Scells are needed for delivering the UE's data due to the optimal selection of Scells (Popescu; [0062]).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vargantwar (US 2020/0413284 A1) in view of Yang (US 2021/0337612 A1) and further in view of Yousefi’zadeh et al. (US 10,841,853 B1, hereinafter “Yousefi’zadeh”).
As to claim 12:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose predicting a future control channel resource deficit based on a trend of PDCCH utilization of one or more communications resources of the wireless access network.
However, Yousefi’zadeh discloses predicting a future control channel resource deficit based on a trend of PDCCH utilization of one or more communications resources of the wireless access network (“effectively predicts the average number of connected UEs associated with congestion threshold of either PRB or PDCCH utilization in 5G cellular towers and provides a dynamic automated solution that balances the load of 5G networks by redistributing traffic from congested cells to the non-congested cells automatically”; Col. 2 lines 23-29).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Yousefi’zadeh into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow predicting a future control channel resource deficit based on a trend of PDCCH utilization of one or more communications resources of the wireless access network. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce network congestion (Yousefi’zadeh; Abstract).
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vargantwar (US 2020/0413284 A1) in view of Yang (US 2021/0337612 A1) and further in view of Xu et al. (US 2023/0224747 A1, hereinafter “Xu”).
As to claim 17:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly discloses activating one or more dormant BWPs associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to a current BWP configuration in response to detecting the control channel resource deficit.
However, Xu discloses activating one or more dormant BWPs associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to a current BWP configuration in response to detecting the control channel resource deficit (“the UE 115 may operate in a particular BWP based on an operation mode of the UE 115. For instance, if the UE 115 is in a non-dormant mode, the UE 115 may operate over a non-dormant BWP 305 and if the UE 115 is in a dormant mode, the UE 115 may operate over a dormant BWP 310. When operating in the dormant BWP 310, the UE 115 may have reduced activity as compared to when operating in the non-dormant BWP 305. Additionally bandwidth may be smaller in the dormant BWP 310 (e.g., as wideband operations may not be performed in the dormant BWP 310). Additionally, the UE 115 may not transmit uplink data (e.g., via a PUSCH) or uplink control information (e.g., via a PUCCH) and may not receive data (e.g., via a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH)) when configured for the dormant BWP 310. In the dormant mode, the UE 115 may not receive downlink control information (e.g., via a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH)). The UE 115, when configured for the dormant BWP 310, may transmit periodic transmission of SRS or perform periodic measurement of channel state information (CSI) with a periodicity longer than that which occurs when the UE 115 is operating in the non-dormant BWP 305. In some examples, the UE 115 may determine to sleep between periods for transmission and/or reception, which may enable the UE 115 to save power. When configured for the non-dormant BWP 305, which may be larger and thus may enable a larger data transmission rate, the UE 115 may have normal activity. The properties of non-dormant BWPs 305 and dormant BWPs 310 may be configured by a base station 105”; [0088]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Xu into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow activating one or more dormant BWPs associated with an increased control channel capacity compared to a current BWP configuration in response to detecting the control channel resource deficit. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption by a user equipment (Xu; [0087]).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vargantwar (US 2020/0413284 A1) in view of Yang (US 2021/0337612 A1) and further in view of Geekie et al. (US 2020/0351771 A1, hereinafter “Geekie”).
As to claim 19:
The combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly discloses evaluating an energy consumption parameter based on a model of energy consumption by one or more wireless device types, and reconfiguring the one or more Scells and/or the at least one BWP based on the output of the model.
However, Geekie discloses evaluating an energy consumption parameter based on a model of energy consumption by one or more wireless device types (“power-related condition of the UE 115 can include a battery state of charge of a battery of the UE 115 falling below a battery charge threshold, a temperature reading in the UE 115 exceeding a temperature threshold, a battery voltage of the battery of the UE 115 falling below a battery voltage threshold, and/or the like, or any combination thereof”; [0074] ), and reconfiguring the one or more Scells and/or the at least one BWP based on the output of the model (“at block 530 with sending, responsive at least in part to detecting the power-related condition of the UE, a message to indicate to the master node to release the connection of the UE to the secondary node”; [0122]; [0124] “at block 590 with ceasing decoding of transmissions of secondary cells of the at least one of the secondary cells configured on the node”; [0127]; [0031]).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of Geekie into the combined system/method of Vargantwar and Yang as it would allow evaluating an energy consumption parameter based on a model of energy consumption by one or more wireless device types, and reconfiguring the one or more Scells and/or the at least one BWP based on the output of the model. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption by a user equipment (Geekie; [0006]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIELA VIDAL CARPIO whose telephone number is (571)272-1250. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00AM to 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ayaz Sheikh can be reached at (571)272-3795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIELA VIDAL CARPIO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476