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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/08/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/08/2026 have been fully considered but they are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(l)(1) - 706.02(l)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1, 17, 27 and 30 are provisionally rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 3 of US 2024/0205827 A1 (hereinafter “’827”) in view of Ljung et al. (US 2015/0223285 A1, hereinafter “Ljung”) and further in view of Nigam et al. (US 2018/0302864 A1, hereinafter “Nigam”). Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other. For instance, the table below compares the different parts of exemplary claim 1. Those not underlined are the same or effectively the same parts:
Instant Application 18/362,846
Copending Application US 2024/0205827 A1 (18/553,802)
1. A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising: one or more memories; and one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually and collectively configured to cause the UE to:
select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state; and
transmit a request to enter the UE operation state.
1. A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), the method comprising: determining to change a power mode of the UE to a new power mode, the new power mode comprising a power saving mode in which the UE measures positioning reference signals (PRSs) from one transmission/reception point (TRP) or a normal power mode in which the UE measures PRSs from more than one TRP; and changing the power mode of the UE to the new power mode.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein: determining to change the power mode of the UE to a new power mode comprises sending, to a location server, a request to change the power mode of the UE to the new power mode, and receiving, from the location server, a positioning configuration associated with the new power mode; and changing the power mode of the UE to the new power mode comprises using the positioning configuration for the new power mode that was received from the location server.
Copending Application ‘827 discloses claim 1 as show above, but does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold.
However, Ljung discloses to select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]), a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]).
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 Ljung into the system/method of application ‘827 as it would allow to select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to improve battery lifetime (Ljung; [0053]).
The combined system/method of application ‘827 and Ljung does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE.
However, Nigam discloses to select, based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“the power management component 350 may first evaluate the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 115 and select a power management mode based on the channel conditions. For example, when the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 exhibit deteriorating channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio), the power management mode may prioritize performance over power savings and thus select the first power management mode. However, if the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 are ideal (e.g., high SNR and low Doppler), the power management component 350 may select a different power management mode that omits decoding of the shared channel region of the subframe, and thus reduces power consumption”; [0028]-[0030] note: channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio) = local traffic condition).
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 Nigam into the combined system/method of application ‘827 and Ljung as it would allow to select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
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 1-12, 14, 17-23, 25, 27-28 and 30-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ljung et al. (US 2015/0223285 A1, hereinafter “Ljung”) in view of Nigam et al. (US 2018/0302864 A1, hereinafter “Nigam”).
As to claim 1:
Ljung discloses a user equipment (UE) for wireless communication (mobile terminal 20; Figs. 2-3), comprising:
one or more memories (memory; see Fig. 1; [0123]; [0080]); and
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to (“processing device 23 which controls operation of the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 1; [0067] memory; [0123]; [0080]):
select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]), a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]); and
transmit a request to enter the UE operation state (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3 element 41; [0087]; [0090]).
Ljung does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE.
However, Nigam discloses to select, based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“the power management component 350 may first evaluate the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 115 and select a power management mode based on the channel conditions. For example, when the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 exhibit deteriorating channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio), the power management mode may prioritize performance over power savings and thus select the first power management mode. However, if the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 are ideal (e.g., high SNR and low Doppler), the power management component 350 may select a different power management mode that omits decoding of the shared channel region of the subframe, and thus reduces power consumption”; [0028]-[0030] note: channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio) = local traffic condition).
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 Nigam into Ljung’s system/method as it would allow to select, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
As to claim 2:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to (“processing device 23 which controls operation of the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 1; [0067]):
receive an indication to enter the UE operation state based at least in part on the request (“If the base station 11 or another RAN node determines that the mobile terminal 20 may switch its power mode to the selected power mode, it transmits a positive acknowledgement (ack) message 42 to the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 3; [0092]); and
enter the UE operation state based at least in part on the indication (“in response to receiving the power mode change response which accepts the power mode switching, the mobile terminal 20 changes the power mode to the power mode indicated in the message 41”; Fig. 3; [0093]).
As to claim 3:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to: receive an indication (“The message 42 is a power mode change response which accepts the power mode switching requested by the mobile terminal”; see Fig. 3; [0092]) to enter an adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the request (switch to the selected power mode = adjust UE operation state; see Fig. 3; [0026]; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]); and enter the adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the indication (see Fig. 3 element 43; see also “The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]).
As to claim 4:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the reduced power state is associated with skipping uplink or downlink signals, skipping monitoring of physical downlink control channel communications, disabling use of a channel, discontinuous reception, or a switch to a search space set group for saving power (“The selected power mode and at least one other power mode of the plurality of power modes may have different DRX parameter settings”; [0014]-[0017]; [0075]-[0076] For examination purposes, the examiner selected “discontinuous reception” from the group of alternatives).
As to claim 5:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the reduced power state is configured with resources to transmit a new request to enter a new UE operation state (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]).
As to claim 6:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is associated with a set of uplink transmission occasions (“the different power modes may correspond to definitions of different DRX cycle lengths and/or different paging cycles when the mobile terminal is in an RRC disconnected state while operating in the respective mode. For further illustration, the different power modes may correspond to different output power classes of the mobile terminal 20”; [0075] “ the selected power mode may add one or more additional DRX cycles. A power mode could for example add a long DRX level, in addition to a standard idle state DRX, to the idle RRC state”; [0076]).
As to claim 7:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is used for an uplink transmission occasion (“The application(s) would normally transmit data over the wireless interface 21 to the communication network 10 and would receive data from the communication network 10”; [0072]; [0025] the power mode of when the mobile terminal/application transmits data to the network = the UE operation state) based at least in part on a specified condition (“when the display is switched off”;[0025]; [0009]; [0108] note: based on display being on or off).
As to claim 8:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the request includes one or more bits that indicate to remain in a same UE operation state, switch to a first new UE operation state, or switch to a second new operation state (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]).
As to claim 9:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the request includes one or more bits that indicate to cancel or extend a reduced power state (“The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0026]; [0076]; [0090] regular power mode; [0007]; [0017]).
As to claim 10:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to transmit the request (see Fig. 2; elements 33-35), are individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to transmit the request in multiple transmission stages (see Fig. 2; multiple stages to transmit power mode change request).
As to claim 11:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to select the UE operation state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]), are individually or collectively configured to select a set of UE operation states (“A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0105]; [0090]), and wherein the request includes the set of operation states (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3; [0087]; [0090]; [0017]; [0105]).
As to claim 12:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the request indicates a resource that is associated with the set of UE operation states (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074] “A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0105]; [0090] note: bit(s)=resource).
As to claim 14:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is one of multiple UE operation states, each UE operation state being associated with one or more resources (“At least two power modes of the plurality of power modes may be distinguished from each other in the number of DRX states. The logic may select one of these at least two power modes. For illustration, a first power mode may have only one DRX state while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]).
As to claim 17:
Ljung discloses a network entity for wireless communication (base station 11; see Figs. 3 and 8; Abstract), comprising:
one or more memories (memory of base station; see Fig. 8; [0111]-[0112]; [0123]); and
one or more processors, coupled to the one or more memories, individually or collectively configured to cause the network entity to (processor and memory of base station; see Fig. 8; [0111]-[0112]; [0123]):
receive, from a user equipment (UE), based at least in part on an energy status of the UE satisfying an energy status threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]), a request for the UE to enter a UE operation state (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3 element 41; [0087]; [0090]) that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]); and
transmit an indication to enter the UE operation state or an adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the request (“The message 42 is a power mode change response which accepts the power mode switching requested by the mobile terminal”; see Figs. 2-3 element 42; [0092]).
Ljung does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE.
However, Nigam discloses based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, the UE to enter a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“the power management component 350 may first evaluate the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 115 and select a power management mode based on the channel conditions. For example, when the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 exhibit deteriorating channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio), the power management mode may prioritize performance over power savings and thus select the first power management mode. However, if the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 are ideal (e.g., high SNR and low Doppler), the power management component 350 may select a different power management mode that omits decoding of the shared channel region of the subframe, and thus reduces power consumption”; [0028]-[0030]).
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 Nigam into Ljung’s system/method as it would allow receiving, from a user equipment (UE) based at least in part on an energy status of the UE satisfying an energy status threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a request for the UE to enter a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
As to claim 18:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is associated with a set of uplink transmission occasions (“the different power modes may correspond to definitions of different DRX cycle lengths and/or different paging cycles when the mobile terminal is in an RRC disconnected state while operating in the respective mode. For further illustration, the different power modes may correspond to different output power classes of the mobile terminal 20”; [0075] “ the selected power mode may add one or more additional DRX cycles. A power mode could for example add a long DRX level, in addition to a standard idle state DRX, to the idle RRC state”; [0076]).
As to claim 19:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the indication includes one or more bits that indicate to remain in a same UE operation state, switch to a first new UE operation state, or switch to a second new operation state (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]).
As to claim 20:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the indication includes one or more bits that indicate to cancel or extend a reduced power state (“The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0026]; [0076]; [0090] regular power mode; [0007]; [0017]).
As to claim 21:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors, to receive the request (see Fig. 2; elements 33-35), are individually or collectively configured to cause the network entity to receive the request in multiple transmission stages (see Fig. 2; multiple stages to transmit power mode change request).
As to claim 22:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state includes a set of UE operation states (“A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0105]; [0090]), and wherein the indication indicates one or more UE operation states (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3; [0087]; [0090]; [0017]; [0105]).
As to claim 23:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the request indicates a resource that is associated with the set of UE operation states (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074] “A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0105]; [0090] note: bit(s)=resource), and wherein the indication indicates the resource (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074] “A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]; [0105]; [0090] note: bit(s)=resource).
As to claim 25:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is one of multiple UE operation states, each UE operation state being associated with one or more resources (“At least two power modes of the plurality of power modes may be distinguished from each other in the number of DRX states. The logic may select one of these at least two power modes. For illustration, a first power mode may have only one DRX state while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. A second power mode may have two different DRX states while the mobile terminal is in the idle state. The two different DRX states may be an idle DRX state with long DRX cycle and an idle DRX state with short DRX cycle”; [0017]).
As to claim 27:
Ljung discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE) (mobile terminal 20; Figs. 2-3; Abstract), comprising:
selecting, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]), a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]); and
transmitting a request to enter the UE operation state (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3 element 41; [0087]; [0090]).
Ljung does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE.
However, Nigam discloses selecting, based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“the power management component 350 may first evaluate the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 115 and select a power management mode based on the channel conditions. For example, when the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 exhibit deteriorating channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio), the power management mode may prioritize performance over power savings and thus select the first power management mode. However, if the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 are ideal (e.g., high SNR and low Doppler), the power management component 350 may select a different power management mode that omits decoding of the shared channel region of the subframe, and thus reduces power consumption”; [0028]-[0030] note: channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio) = local traffic condition).
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 Nigam into Ljung’s system/method as it would allow selecting, based at least in part on determining that an energy status of the UE satisfies a threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
As to claim 28:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses receiving an indication to enter the UE operation state or an adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the request (“If the base station 11 or another RAN node determines that the mobile terminal 20 may switch its power mode to the selected power mode, it transmits a positive acknowledgement (ack) message 42 to the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 3; [0092] for examination purposes the examiner selects “the UE operation state” from the group of alternatives); and
entering the UE operation state or the adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the indication (“in response to receiving the power mode change response which accepts the power mode switching, the mobile terminal 20 changes the power mode to the power mode indicated in the message 41”; Fig. 3; [0093] for examination purposes the examiner selects “the UE operation state” from the group of alternatives).
As to claim 30:
Ljung discloses a method of wireless communication performed by a network entity (base station 11; see Fig. 3; Abstract), comprising:
receiving, from a user equipment (UE) based at least in part on an energy status of the UE satisfying an energy status threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]), a request for the UE to enter a UE operation state (“If power mode "M" is selected because it is the most suitable power mode, at 35 a power mode change request is transmitted which includes an indicator for the power mode "M"”; Figs. 2-3 element 41; [0087]; [0090]) that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“At 31, a logic determines a most suitable power mode for the mobile terminal. A selection algorithm may be employed to determine which power mode of a plurality of power modes is the most suitable power mode. In one implementation, a power mode with lower power consumption than a regular, fully operative power mode may be determined”; Figs. 2-3; [0083]-[0084]; [0090]); and
transmitting an indication to enter the UE operation state or an adjusted UE operation state based at least in part on the request (“The message 42 is a power mode change response which accepts the power mode switching requested by the mobile terminal”; see Figs. 2-3 element 42; [0092]).
Ljung does not explicitly disclose based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE.
However, Nigam discloses based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, the UE to enter a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state (“the power management component 350 may first evaluate the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 115 and select a power management mode based on the channel conditions. For example, when the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 exhibit deteriorating channel conditions (e.g., high Doppler or low signal to noise (SNR) ratio), the power management mode may prioritize performance over power savings and thus select the first power management mode. However, if the channel conditions between the UE 115 and the base station 105 are ideal (e.g., high SNR and low Doppler), the power management component 350 may select a different power management mode that omits decoding of the shared channel region of the subframe, and thus reduces power consumption”; [0028]-[0030]).
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 Nigam into Ljung’s system/method as it would allow receiving, from a user equipment (UE) based at least in part on an energy status of the UE satisfying an energy status threshold and based at least in part on a local traffic condition at the UE, a request for the UE to enter a UE operation state that is either a reduced power state or a non-reduced power state. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
As to claim 31:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the one or more processors are configured to cause the UE to (“processing device 23 which controls operation of the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 1; [0067]) select the UE operation state (“The power mode may be selected”; [0071]) by being configured to cause the UE to (“processing device 23 which controls operation of the mobile terminal 20”; see Fig. 1; [0067]): select the UE operation state based at least in part on determining that the energy status of the UE satisfies the threshold (“The power mode may be selected depending on whether the mobile terminal 20 has been in a standby mode for a certain time period. The power mode may be selected depending on whether a display 25 of the mobile terminal 20 has been switched off for a predefined time period”; [0071]). Nigam further discloses to select the UE operation state based at least in part on the local traffic condition at the UE being above or below a traffic threshold, and a channel condition being above or below a channel quality threshold (“the power management component 350 may select one of a plurality of available power management modes based on the evaluation of a power management mode that individually identifies candidate power management modes from a plurality of power management modes based on the channel condition parameters, the channel grant inactivity parameters, and/or the UE resources or capabilities… If the evaluation of channel condition is poor, the power management component 350 in that case may return a selection of first power management mode (full performance), while the evaluation of channel grant inactivity returns a selection of a second power management mode, the power management component 350 may select the power management mode from the first power management mode that prioritizes performance over the power savings.”; [0028]-[0030] “the second module of the power management component 350 may monitor the channel grant inactivity period (e.g., channel grant elapsed time period) that maintains a time period since a last channel grant was received by the UE 115, that is, the module keeps track of how often the UE 115 has been scheduled with SCH grants. As such, the power management component 350 may maintain the periodicity of the UE 115 receiving channel grants. If the UE 115 has a low probability of receiving a grant based on the frequency (or infrequency) of prior channel grants received, the power management component 350 may select a power management mode that maximizes power saving properties over UE performance”; [0044] For interpretation of claim 31 the examiner interprets no channel grant = local traffic condition being below a threshold and channel condition = channel condition).
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 Nigam into Ljung’s system/method as it would allow to select the UE operation state based at least in part on the local traffic condition at the UE being above or below a traffic threshold, and a channel condition being above or below a channel quality threshold. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce power consumption as well as minimize performance degradation observed at the UE (Nigam; [0028]; [0019]).
Claims 13, 15, 24 and 26 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ljung (US 2015/0223285 A1) in view of Nigam (US 2018/0302864 A1) and further in view of Wang et al. (US 2023/0309181 A1, hereinafter “Wang”).
As to claim 13:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is associated with a set of resources (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]), but does not explicitly disclose for a scheduling request.
However, Wang discloses for a scheduling request (“a value of data bearer included in the SR information is greater than or equal to (greater than) X1, it indicates that the terminal device requests mode switching. For example, the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, or the terminal device switches from the second mode to the first mode”; [0298]-[0299]; [0275] “mode switching request signal sent by the terminal device may be 1-bit indication mode switching… 1 bit in this embodiment of this application may also be M bits, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, for example, may also be 2 bits”; see [0562]-[0564]).
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 Wang into the combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam as it would allow the UE operation state to be associated with a set of resources for a scheduling request. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce delay and energy consumption as well as improve efficiency (Wang; [0009]; [0011]; [0118]).
As to claim 15:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the request is indicated by a scheduling request value.
However, Wang discloses wherein the request is indicated by a scheduling request value (“a value of data bearer included in the SR information is greater than or equal to (greater than) X1, it indicates that the terminal device requests mode switching. For example, the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, or the terminal device switches from the second mode to the first mode”; [0298]-[0299]; [0275]).
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 Wang into the combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam as it would allow the request to be indicated by a scheduling request value. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce delay and energy consumption as well as improve efficiency (Wang; [0009]; [0011]; [0118]).
As to claim 24:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above. Ljung further discloses wherein the UE operation state is associated with a set of resources (“The power mode change request may comprise a plurality of indicator bits which include the indicator for the selected power mode. The power mode change request may comprise two indicator bits. The power mode change request may comprise three indicator bits. Accordingly, up to four or up to eight different power modes may be defined”; [0026] “switch to the selected power mode”; Abstract; [0080]; [0071]-[0074]), but does not explicitly disclose for a scheduling request.
However, Wang discloses for a scheduling request (“a value of data bearer included in the SR information is greater than or equal to (greater than) X1, it indicates that the terminal device requests mode switching. For example, the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, or the terminal device switches from the second mode to the first mode”; [0298]-[0299]; [0275] “mode switching request signal sent by the terminal device may be 1-bit indication mode switching… 1 bit in this embodiment of this application may also be M bits, where M is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1, for example, may also be 2 bits”; see [0562]-[0564]).
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 Wang into the combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam as it would allow the UE operation state to be associated with a set of resources for a scheduling request. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce delay and energy consumption as well as improve efficiency (Wang; [0009]; [0011]; [0118]).
As to claim 26:
The combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the request is indicated by a scheduling request value.
However, Wang discloses wherein the request is indicated by a scheduling request value (“a value of data bearer included in the SR information is greater than or equal to (greater than) X1, it indicates that the terminal device requests mode switching. For example, the terminal device switches from the first mode to the second mode, or the terminal device switches from the second mode to the first mode”; [0298]-[0299]; [0275]).
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 Wang into the combined system/method of Ljung and Nigam as it would allow the request is indicated by a scheduling request value. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art, where a motivation would have been to reduce delay and energy consumption as well as improve efficiency (Wang; [0009]; [0011]; [0118]).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ljung (US 2015/0223285 A1) in view of Nigam (US 2018/0302864 A1) in view of Wang (US 2023/0309181 A1) and further in view of Khoshkholgh Dashtaki et al. (US 2025/0176067 A1, hereinafter “Khoshkholgh Dashtaki”).
As to claim 16:
The combined system/method of Ljung, Nigam and Wang discloses the invention set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to disable a prohibitive timer for scheduling requests.
However, Khoshkholgh Dashtaki discloses wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to disable a prohibitive timer for scheduling requests (“the wireless device may cancel the pending SR, and/or stop the SR prohibit timer”; [0259] “ the SR prohibit timer may be a duration during which the wireless device may be not allowed to transmit the SR”; [0252]; [0307]).
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 Khoshkholgh Dashtaki into the combined system/method of Ljung, Nigam and Wang as it would allow the one or more processors to be individually or collectively configured to cause the UE to disable a prohibitive timer for scheduling requests. Such combination would have been obvious as the references are from analogous art where applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement would yield predictable results. Such combination would have also improved data transmission (Khoshkholgh; [0252]-[0259]).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record below, but not relied upon, is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
Huang et al. US 2020/0045636 A1 teaches when a large amount of UL traffic is buffered at the STA, the STA transits to operate in active mode. Huang also teaches three power modes (see at least paragraphs [0051]; [0080]).
Ryoo et al. US 2020/0037345 A1 teaches an operation for selecting a data transmission mode in the active (RRC_CONNECTED) state for a low-power operation of the UE (in order to remove an unnecessary C-DRX interval) if the traffic is not direct traffic directly input by the user or influencing QoS (see at least paragraphs [0694]).
HomChaudhuri et al. US 2017/0353226 A1 teaches that a STA may monitor the traffic on a wireless channel to recognize when these conditions occur, and selectively switch its chain configuration mode to adapt, thereby reducing its overall power consumption and increase energy efficiency in view of changing channel conditions. (see at least paragraphs [0038]).
Conclusion
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/MARIELA VIDAL CARPIO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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