DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to the application filed on 12/28/2023. Claims 1-20 have been examined.
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
Acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for provisional application No. 63/520,203 filed on 08/17/23.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/27/2024 and 01/21/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 8-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh (US 2013/0272219) in view of Ang (2020/0053811).
Regarding claim 1, Singh discloses the following claim limitations: an apparatus comprising logic and circuitry configured to cause a wireless communication Station (STA) to: (Singh, paragraph 6 discloses a wireless communication network may include a number of base stations that can support communication for a number of mobile entities, such as, for example, user equipments (UEs)),
determine a usage-based channel Bandwidth (BW) setting based on a link-usage parameter corresponding to a usage of a wireless communication link for communication of traffic between the STA and an Access Point (AP) (Singh, paragraphs 59 and 96 and figs. 3-4 and 9 discloses a transmitter system 210 (also known as an access point)… at the transmitter system 210, traffic data for a number of data streams is provided from a data source 212 to a transmit (TX) data processor 214… determining a bandwidth usage of at least one network node during at least one time period. The method 900 may involve, at 920, adjusting a bandwidth capacity of the at least one network node based on the determined bandwidth usage).
Singh does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations: and transmit a channel BW reduction request to the AP based on a determination that the usage-based channel BW setting is less than an operating channel BW setting for the STA, wherein the channel BW reduction request is configured to request the AP to reduce the operating channel BW setting for the STA based on the usage-based channel BW setting.
However, in the same field of endeavor Ang discloses more explicitly the following: and transmit a channel BW reduction request to the AP based on a determination that the usage-based channel BW setting is less than an operating channel BW setting for the STA, wherein the channel BW reduction request is configured to request the AP to reduce the operating channel BW setting for the STA based on the usage-based channel BW setting (Ang, paragraphs 154, 158, 170 and 175 discloses one implementation may allow a UE 115 to save power and increase battery life by avoiding operating at high channel bandwidths when a reduced channel bandwidth may be used… the device 1205 may be an example of aspects of a UE 115… device 1205 may include a receiver 1210, a communications manager 1215, and a transmitter 1220… the channel bandwidth component 1420 may determine a maximum supported BWP bandwidth of the UE to include with a connection establishment request 1408 based on the full bandwidth capability of the UE, the cell-specific channel bandwidth, a current data usage of the UE, a power consumption mode of the UE, a thermal status of the UE, or any combinations thereof).
It would have been obvious to one the ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the teachings of Singh with Ang to create a wireless communication network with operating at reduced channel bandwidth system.
The reasoning being is to enhance the efficiency of a wireless communications system (Ang, paragraph 4).
Regarding claim 2, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on an activity of a radio of the STA to communicate over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Ang, paragraphs 71 and 95 and claim 9 discloses wherein the receiving the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth comprises: receiving UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling that includes the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 2.
Regarding claim 3, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on at least one of a Transmit (Tx) activity of the STA to transmit uplink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA, or a Receive (Rx) activity of the STA to receive downlink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Ang, paragraph 22 discloses the communicating with the base station using the UE-specific channel bandwidth includes transmitting one or more uplink transmissions to the base station using a first subset of resource blocks within the UE-specific channel bandwidth). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 3.
Regarding claim 8, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on a Throughput (TPT) requirement corresponding to the traffic to be communicated between the STA and the AP over the wireless communication link (Singh, paragraph 83 discloses 802.11u supports Access Network Query Protocol (ANQP) which may provide a range of information such as the network authentication types supported, venue name, roaming agreements in place, throughput of the backhaul link).
Regarding claim 9, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting based on an available capacity of a Basic Service Set (BSS) of the AP (Singh, paragraph 20 discloses determine a bandwidth usage of at least one network node during at least one time period, and adjust a bandwidth capacity of the at least one network node based on the determined bandwidth usage).
Regarding claim 10, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 9 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting based on a condition that the available capacity of the BSS of the AP is to be maintained above a BSS capacity threshold (Singh, paragraph 92 discloses method 700 may involve, at 710, determining whether an available bandwidth for communication by the network entity is below a bandwidth threshold. The method 700 may involve, at 720, requesting additional bandwidth from at least one neighbor network node in response to determining that the available bandwidth is below the bandwidth threshold).
Regarding claim 11, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 9 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting comprising a lowest supported channel BW, which is supported by the STA, and which complies with a condition corresponding to the link-usage parameter and the available capacity of the BSS (Singh, paragraph 92 discloses method 700 may involve, at 710, determining whether an available bandwidth for communication by the network entity is below a bandwidth threshold. The method 700 may involve, at 720, requesting additional bandwidth from at least one neighbor network node in response to determining that the available bandwidth is below the bandwidth threshold).
Regarding claim 12, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting based on a power consumption of a radio of the STA to communicate over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Ang, paragraph 83 discloses UEs 115 may be configured to employ operating modes that reduce power consumption, such as half-duplex communications (e.g., a mode that supports one-way communication via transmission or reception, but not transmission and reception simultaneously). In some examples half-duplex communications may be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power conservation techniques for UEs 115 include entering a power saving “deep sleep” mode when not engaging in active communications, or operating over a limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communications). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 12.
Regarding claim 13, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting to result in a first power consumption level of a radio of the STA for communication of the traffic, wherein the first power consumption level is lower than a second power consumption level of the radio of STA for communication of the traffic over the available channel BW of the STA (Ang, paragraph 83 discloses UEs 115 may be configured to employ operating modes that reduce power consumption, such as half-duplex communications (e.g., a mode that supports one-way communication via transmission or reception, but not transmission and reception simultaneously). In some examples half-duplex communications may be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power conservation techniques for UEs 115 include entering a power saving “deep sleep” mode when not engaging in active communications, or operating over a limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communications). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 13.
Regarding claim 14, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to select the usage-based channel BW setting from a plurality of supported channel BWs, which are supported by the STA, based on the link-usage parameter (Ang, paragraphs 154, 158, 170 and 175 discloses one implementation may allow a UE 115 to save power and increase battery life by avoiding operating at high channel bandwidths when a reduced channel bandwidth may be used… the device 1205 may be an example of aspects of a UE 115… device 1205 may include a receiver 1210, a communications manager 1215, and a transmitter 1220… the channel bandwidth component 1420 may determine a maximum supported BWP bandwidth of the UE to include with a connection establishment request 1408 based on the full bandwidth capability of the UE, the cell-specific channel bandwidth, a current data usage of the UE, a power consumption mode of the UE, a thermal status of the UE, or any combinations thereof). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 14.
Regarding claim 15, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to set the channel BW reduction request by setting a channel width subfield based on the usage-based channel BW setting, and setting the channel width subfield in an Operating mode (OM) control subfield to be transmitted from the STA to the AP (Ang, paragraph 83 discloses UEs 115 may be configured to employ operating modes that reduce power consumption, such as half-duplex communications (e.g., a mode that supports one-way communication via transmission or reception, but not transmission and reception simultaneously). In some examples half-duplex communications may be performed at a reduced peak rate. Other power conservation techniques for UEs 115 include entering a power saving “deep sleep” mode when not engaging in active communications, or operating over a limited bandwidth (e.g., according to narrowband communications). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 15.
Regarding claim 16, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 configured to cause the STA to determine the usage-based channel BW setting comprising a lowest supported channel BW, which is supported by the STA, and which complies with a condition corresponding to the link-usage parameter (Ang, paragraph 146 discloses the base station may configure one CC for the UEs having different UE-specific channel bandwidths, and communications using higher channel bandwidths may be rate-matched around communications using lower channel bandwidths). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 16.
Regarding claim 17, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 1 comprising a radio to communicate the traffic over the wireless communication link (Ang, paragraphs 71 and 95 and claim 9 discloses wherein the receiving the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth comprises: receiving UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling that includes the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 17.
Regarding claim 18, Singh and Ang discloses the apparatus of claim 17 comprising one or more antennas connected to the radio, and a processor to execute instructions of an operating system of the STA (Ang, paragraph 77 discloses base stations 105 may wirelessly communicate with UEs 115 via one or more base station antennas. Base stations 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an access point, a radio transceiver). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 18.
With regards to claim 19, claim 19 lists all the same elements and features as claim 1 outlined above. Therefore, the same rationale that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 19. In addition, Ang in paragraph 9 discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing code for wireless communications at a UE.
Regarding claim 20, Singh and Ang discloses the product of claim 19, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on an activity of a radio of the STA to communicate over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Ang, paragraphs 71 and 95 and claim 9 discloses wherein the receiving the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth comprises: receiving UE-specific radio resource control (RRC) signaling that includes the indication of the UE-specific channel bandwidth). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 1 applies equally as well to claim 20.
Claim(s) 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Singh (US 2013/0272219) in view of Ang (2020/0053811) and in further view of Zacharias (US 2022/0116890).
Regarding claim 4, Singh and Ang discloses the claimed invention as outlined above in claim 1.
Singh and Ang do not expliclty disclose the following claim limitations: wherein the link-usage parameter is based on at least one of a Transmit (Tx) time percentage of the STA or a Receive (Rx) time percentage of the STA, wherein the Tx time percentage of the STA comprises a percentage of time used by the STA to transmit uplink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA, wherein the Rx time percentage of the STA comprises a percentage of time used by the STA to receive downlink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA.
However, in the same field of endeavor Zacharias discloses more explicitly the following: wherein the link-usage parameter is based on at least one of a Transmit (Tx) time percentage of the STA or a Receive (Rx) time percentage of the STA, wherein the Tx time percentage of the STA comprises a percentage of time used by the STA to transmit uplink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA, wherein the Rx time percentage of the STA comprises a percentage of time used by the STA to receive downlink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Zacharias paragraph 97 discloses The downlink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that a downlink is scheduled. The UE may measure an uplink scheduling rate on one or more links for a plurality of split bearers associated with the UE. The uplink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that an uplink is scheduled. The UE may reroute the uplink communication to the LIE path when the downlink scheduling rate associated with the split bearer satisfies a downlink scheduling threshold on a downlink path and the uplink scheduling rate satisfies an uplink scheduling threshold on the NR path).
It would have been obvious to one the ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to modify the teachings of Singh and Ang with Zacharias to create the system of Singh and Ang as outlined above with percentage of time that an uplink is scheduled.
The reasoning being improving spectral efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum, and better integrating with other open standards using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with a cyclic prefix (CP) (CP-OFDM) on the downlink, using CP-OFDM and/or single-carrier frequency division multiplexing (SC-FDM) (also known as discrete Fourier transform spread OFDM (DFT-s-OFDM)) on the uplink, as well as supporting beamforming, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna technology, and carrier aggregation. As the demand for mobile broadband access continues to increase, further improvements in LTE, NR, and other radio access technologies remain useful (Zacharias, paragraph 5).
Regarding claim 5, Singh, Ang and Zacharias discloses the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on a sum of the Tx time percentage of the STA and the Rx time percentage of the STA (Zacharias paragraph 97 discloses The downlink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that a downlink is scheduled. The UE may measure an uplink scheduling rate on one or more links for a plurality of split bearers associated with the UE. The uplink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that an uplink is scheduled. The UE may reroute the uplink communication to the LIE path when the downlink scheduling rate associated with the split bearer satisfies a downlink scheduling threshold on a downlink path and the uplink scheduling rate satisfies an uplink scheduling threshold on the NR path). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 4 applies equally as well to claim 5.
Regarding claim 6, Singh, Ang and Zacharias discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on a link-usage time percentage of the STA, wherein the link-usage time percentage of the STA comprises a total percentage of time used by the STA to transmit uplink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA or to receive downlink traffic over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA (Zacharias paragraph 97 discloses The downlink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that a downlink is scheduled. The UE may measure an uplink scheduling rate on one or more links for a plurality of split bearers associated with the UE. The uplink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that an uplink is scheduled. The UE may reroute the uplink communication to the LIE path when the downlink scheduling rate associated with the split bearer satisfies a downlink scheduling threshold on a downlink path and the uplink scheduling rate satisfies an uplink scheduling threshold on the NR path). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 4 applies equally as well to claim 6.
Regarding claim 7, Singh, Ang and Zacharias discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the link-usage parameter is based on a non-link-usage time percentage of the STA, the non-link-usage time percentage of the STA comprising a percentage of time during which the STA is to listen over the wireless communication link according to the operating channel BW setting for the STA while no transmission or reception of the traffic is performed (Zacharias paragraph 97 discloses The downlink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that a downlink is scheduled. The UE may measure an uplink scheduling rate on one or more links for a plurality of split bearers associated with the UE. The uplink scheduling rate may indicate a percentage of time that an uplink is scheduled. The UE may reroute the uplink communication to the LIE path when the downlink scheduling rate associated with the split bearer satisfies a downlink scheduling threshold on a downlink path and the uplink scheduling rate satisfies an uplink scheduling threshold on the NR path). The same motivation that was utilized in claim 4 applies equally as well to claim 7.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERRY T JEAN BAPTISTE whose telephone number is (571)272-6189. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9-5PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Vaughn can be reached at 571-272-3922. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JERRY T JEAN BAPTISTE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2481
Prosecution Insights