DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
2. Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-21 in the reply filed on 1 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
3. Claims 5 and 13 are objected to because of the following informalities: the word “based” in line 1 of each of these claims is not followed by the word “on”. Appropriate correction is required. Claim 20 is objected to because of the following informality: the word “a” does not appear after the word “comprising” in line 1 of this claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
6. Claims 1-2, 4-10, 12-16, and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dravida, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2006/0276227 (hereinafter Dravida).
Regarding claim 1, Dravida discloses that a radio transceiver (disclosed is an access point, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [element 110a]) comprises:
a plurality of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element of the plurality of radiating elements is spatially separated from every other radiating element of the plurality of radiating elements (the access point comprises a plurality of remote antennas that are spatially separated from each other, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 114a-114m]);
a plurality of radio frequency front-ends, wherein one or more radiating elements of the plurality of radiating elements is associated with a radio frequency front-end of the plurality radio frequency front-ends (the access point comprises a plurality of front-ends, each one of said front-ends being connected to a corresponding one of the remote antennas via a cable, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 116a-116m]);
a plurality of received signal sensors, each received signal sensor of the plurality of received signal sensors coupled to one or more radiating elements, wherein each received signal sensor is adapted to output a signal representative of a received signal strength for the one or more radiating elements (the access point comprises a plurality of power detectors, each one of said power detectors being connected to a corresponding one of the remote antennas via a cable, whereby each of these power detectors measures the power of the RF signal that is received by its corresponding antenna, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 118a-118m, 290]); and
one or more processors coupled to one or more received signal sensors of the plurality of received signal sensors, wherein the one or more processors are adapted to receive the signal representative of a received signal strength from each received signal sensor of the plurality of received signal sensors, wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to provide a control signal for changing a power mode for a set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality radio frequency front-ends, wherein the control signal is based on the signal representative of a received signal strength from each received signal sensor coupled to the radio frequency front-end (the access point comprises a controller that is coupled to the plurality of power detectors, whereby said controller receives the power measurements from each of the power detectors, whereby said controller uses the power measurements from all of the power detectors to select antennas to use for data transmission and reception, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [element 220], whereby the use of a given number of the antennas for data transmission corresponds to a particular transmission mode, according to [0028]).
Regarding claim 10, Dravida discloses a method for one or more modules of one or more processors of a wireless communication system (disclosed is a method according to which a multi-antenna station selects a set of one or more of its antennas for data transmission, according to [0007]), the method comprises:
monitoring signals from each radiating element of a group of radiating elements to generate a plurality of signals, wherein a signal of the plurality of signals is representative of received signal strength for a radiating element of the group of radiating elements, wherein each radiating element of the group of radiating elements is associated with a radio frequency front end of a plurality of radio frequency front-ends (the multi-antenna station is an access point that comprises a controller that receives power measurements from a plurality of power detectors, whereby each power detector measures power of the RF signal from a corresponding antenna of a plurality of antennas belonging to the access point, whereby each antenna of the plurality of antennas is associated with a corresponding front-end of a plurality of front-ends, according to [0023], Fig. 2a [elements 114a-114m, 116a-116m, 220, and 290]);
determining, based on the monitoring, a relative received signal strength for each radiating element of the group of radiating elements (the access point controller sorts the received power measurements from highest to lowest, according to [0029]);
in response to the relative received signal strength for a radiating element of the group of radiating elements, changing a radio frequency front-end of a first set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radio frequency front-ends to a low-power mode and changing a radio frequency front end of a second set of radio frequency front ends of the plurality of radio frequency front ends to a high-power mode (the controller, based on the received power measurements, selects antennas for data transmission and reception, according to [0023], whereby said controller uses control signals to enable [“high-power mode”] certain front-ends and disable [“low-power mode”] other front-ends, according to [0054]).
Regarding claim 18, Dravida discloses a wireless communication system (disclosed is a wireless communication system, according to [0016], Fig. 1) comprises:
a plurality of wireless terminals, wherein each wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals is spatially separated from every other wireless terminals of the plurality of wireless terminals (the wireless communication system comprises a plurality of spatially separated user terminals, according to [0016], Fig. 1 [elements 120a-120d]);
a plurality of radio frequency front ends, wherein a radio frequency front end of the plurality of radio frequency front ends is coupled to a radio frequency front end of the plurality radio frequency front ends, wherein each radio frequency front end includes (the wireless communication system comprises an access point that in turn comprises a plurality of front-ends, according to [0016], Fig. 1 [element 110], whereby front-ends are connected to each other through a shared controller of the access point, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 116a-116m, 220]);
a plurality of received signal sensors, wherein a received signal sensor of the plurality of received signal sensors is coupled to one or more radiating elements and a radio frequency front end of the plurality of radio frequency front ends, wherein each received signal sensor is adapted to output a signal representative of a received signal strength for the one or more radiating elements (the access point comprises a plurality of power detectors, whereby each power detector is coupled to a corresponding antenna of a plurality of antennas belonging to said access point, and whereby each power detector is coupled to a corresponding front-end of a plurality of front-ends belonging to said access point, whereby each of these power detectors measures the power of the RF signal that is received by its corresponding antenna and reports the corresponding measurements to the controller, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 114a-114m, 116a-116m, 290]);
one or more processors coupled to one or more received signal sensors of the plurality of received signal sensors, wherein the one or more processors are adapted to receive the signal representative of a received signal strength from each received signal sensor of the plurality of received signal sensors, wherein the one or more processors are further adapted to provide a control signal for activating each radio frequency front end of the plurality of radio frequency front ends, wherein the control signal is based on the signal representative of a received signal strength from a received signal sensor coupled to the radio frequency front end (the access point comprises a controller that is coupled to the power detectors, whereby said controller receives power measurements from each power detector, whereby said controller uses the power measurements from all of the power detectors to select antennas and their corresponding front-ends to use for data transmission and reception, according to [0023], Fig. 2A [elements 220 and 290]).
Regarding claim 2, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein the power mode is one of a low-power mode or a high-power mode, wherein the low-power mode deactivates a radio frequency front-end and a high-power mode activates a radio frequency front-end (the controller generates control signals to enable certain front-ends and disable certain other front-ends, according to [0053]).
Regarding claim 4, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein the control signal is further based on an external signal (the antenna selection by the controller (which corresponds to control signals generated by the controller, according to [0054]) for data transmission and reception is based on external signals measured by the power detectors, according to [0023], [0029]).
Regarding claim 5, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 4, wherein the external signal is a signal representative based at least one of: a) a rate of motion; b) a change in a rate of motion; c) a predicted change in a rate of motion; d) a direction of motion; e) a change in a direction of motion; f) a predicted change in a direction of motion; g) an indication of relative signal strength; h) a classification result of an artificial intelligence engine (the access point controller determines which antennas to select by sorting the received power measurements from highest to lowest [“g) an indication of relative signal strength”], according to [0029]).
Regarding claim 6, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein at least one radiating element associated with the set of radio frequency front-ends is spatially adjacent to at least one radiating element associated with another set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radio frequency front-ends, wherein a radiating element of the set of radio frequency front ends is in a first power mode when a radiating element of the another set of radio frequency front-ends is in a different power mode, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprise an array of radiating elements (each antenna of the plurality of antennas is near one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas, whereby the access point selects the set of enabled antennas for data transmission such that these enabled antennas are near each other (because a subset of the plurality of antennas is chosen for data transmission [“first power mode”], and because each antenna is located near at least one other antenna, then at least one of the antennas that is not selected for data transmission [“different power mode”] is near an antenna that is selected for data transmission), according to [0033]).
Regarding claim 7, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein at least one radiating element associated with the set of radio frequency front-ends is alternate to at least one radiating element associated with another set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radiating elements, wherein a radio frequency front-end of the set of radio frequency front-ends is in a first power mode when a radio frequency front-end of the of the another set of radio frequency front-ends is in a different power mode, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprise an array of radiating elements (each antenna of the plurality of antennas is near one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas, whereby the access point selects the set of enabled antennas for data transmission such that these enabled antennas are near each other (because a subset of the plurality of antennas is chosen for data transmission [“first power mode”], and because each antenna is located near at least one other antenna, then at least one of the antennas that is not selected for data transmission [“different power mode”] is near an antenna that is selected for data transmission), according to [0033]).
Regarding claim 8, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein the set of radio frequency front-ends does not exceed one half of the set of radio frequency front ends in the plurality of set of radio frequency front-ends (a number of antennas is selected for data transmission, which may be one (since the access point has at least two antennas, then, in this scenario, the set of antennas, and associated front-ends, does not exceed half of the antennas and associated front-ends), according to [0043]. Fig. 3 [step 312]).
Regarding claim 9, Dravida discloses the radio transceiver of claim 1, wherein each radio frequency front end includes at least one of a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier and a phase shifter (the front-end comprises a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, according to [0055], Fig. 5A [elements 520 and 530]).
Regarding claim 12, Dravida discloses the method of claim 10, wherein changing the radio frequency front-end of a first set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radio frequency front-ends to a low-power mode and changing a radio frequency front-end of a second set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radio frequency front-ends to a high-power mode is further based on an external signal (the controller, based on the received power measurements, selects antennas for data transmission and reception, according to [0023], whereby said controller uses control signals to enable [“high-power mode”] certain front-ends and disable [“low-power mode”] other front-ends, according to [0054]).
Regarding claim 13, Dravida discloses the method of claim 12, wherein the external signal is a signal representative based at least one of: i) a rate of motion; j) a change in a rate of motion; k) a predicted change in a rate of motion; l) a direction of motion; m) a change in a direction of motion; n) a predicted change in a direction of motion; o) an indication of relative signal strength; p) a classification result of an artificial intelligence engine (the access point controller determines which antennas to select by sorting the received power measurements from highest to lowest [“o) an indication of relative signal strength”], according to [0029]).
Regarding claim 14, Dravida discloses the method of claim 10, wherein at least one radiating element associated with the set of radio frequency front-ends is spatially adjacent to at least one radiating element associated with another set of radio frequency front-ends of the plurality of radio frequency front ends, wherein a radiating element of the set of radio frequency front-ends is in a low-power mode when a radiating element of the another set of radio frequency front ends is in a high-power mode, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprise an array of radiating elements (each antenna of the plurality of antennas is near one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas, whereby the access point selects the set of enabled antennas for data transmission such that these enabled antennas are near each other (because a subset of the plurality of antennas is chosen for data transmission [“first power mode”], and because each antenna is located near at least one other antenna, then at least one of the antennas that is not selected for data transmission [“different power mode”] is near an antenna that is selected for data transmission), according to [0033]).
Regarding claim 15, Dravida discloses the method of claim 10, wherein at least one radiating element associated with the first set of radio frequency front-ends is an alternate to at least one radiating element associated with the second set of radio frequency front-ends, wherein a radio frequency front-end of the first set of radio frequency front-ends is in a first power mode when a radio frequency front-end of the of the second set of radio frequency front-ends is in a high power mode, wherein the plurality of radiating elements comprise an array of radiating elements (each antenna of the plurality of antennas is near one or more antennas of the plurality of antennas, whereby the access point selects the set of enabled antennas for data transmission such that these enabled antennas are near each other (because a subset of the plurality of antennas is chosen for data transmission [“first power mode”], and because each antenna is located near at least one other antenna, then at least one of the antennas that is not selected for data transmission [“different power mode”] is near an antenna that is selected for data transmission), according to [0033]).
Regarding claim 16, Dravida discloses the method of claim 10, wherein each radio frequency front-end includes at least one of a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier and a phase shifter (the front-end comprises a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, according to [0055], Fig. 5A [elements 520 and 530]).
Regarding claim 19, Dravida discloses the wireless communication system of claim 18, wherein each radio frequency front end includes at least one of a power amplifier, a low noise amplifier and a phase shifter (the front-end comprises a power amplifier and a low noise amplifier, according to [0055], Fig. 5A [elements 520 and 530]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
10. Claims 3 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dravida as applied to claims 2 and 10 above, in view of Terashima et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0263477 (hereinafter Terashima).
Regarding claim 3, Dravida discloses all the limitations of claim 2.
Dravida does not expressly disclose that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and a high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element.
Terashima discloses that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and a high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element (bias circuits correspond to transistor elements such that operation is toggled between high-power mode and low-power mode, according to [0159], Fig. 14 [elements 51, 61, 301, and 302]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dravida with Terashima such that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and a high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to suppress the degradation of a distortion characteristic (Terashima: [0004]-[0009]).
Regarding claim 17, Dravida discloses all the limitations of claim 10.
Dravida does not expressly disclose that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and the high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element.
Terashima discloses that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and the high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element (bias circuits correspond to transistor elements such that operation is toggled between high-power mode and low-power mode, according to [0159], Fig. 14 [elements 51, 61, 301, and 302]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dravida with Terashima such that the low-power mode is associated with a low bias for a power control element and the high-power mode is associated with a high bias for a power control element.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to suppress the degradation of a distortion characteristic (Terashima: [0004]-[0009]).
11. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dravida as applied to claim 10 above, in view of Abedini et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0069868 (hereinafter Abedini).
Regarding claim 11, Dravida discloses all the limitations of claim 10.
Dravida does not expressly disclose that the monitoring is based on a duty-cycle, wherein a duty-cycle is a fraction of time in a time window during which monitoring is executed.
Abedini discloses that the monitoring is based on a duty-cycle, wherein a duty-cycle is a fraction of time in a time window during which monitoring is executed (a duty cycle is determined for the time during which the power of received signals is measured, according to [0176]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dravida with Abedini such that the monitoring is based on a duty-cycle, wherein a duty-cycle is a fraction of time in a time window during which monitoring is executed.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to accommodate signals that are transmitted in periodic bursts (Abedini: [0176]).
12. Claims 20-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dravida as applied to claim 18 above, in view of Chen et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication 2024/0056252 (hereinafter Chen).
Regarding claim 20, Dravida discloses all the limitations of claim 18. Additionally, Dravida discloses that the wireless communication system comprises a baseband processing device (the access point comprises baseband processing elements, according to [0047]-[0052], Fig. 4 [element 230a]).
Dravida does not expressly disclose that the baseband processing device is configured to communicate with a wide access network.
Chen discloses that the baseband processing device is configured to communicate with a wide access network (a baseband processor communicates with a base station via a cellular RF transceiver, according to [0156], Fig. 11 [elements 1104, 1122, and 102/180]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dravida with Chen such the baseband processing device is configured to communicate with a wide access network.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to facilitate flexibility in network design (Chen: [0080]).
Regarding claim 21, the combination of Dravida and Chen discloses all the limitations of claim 20.
Dravida does not expressly disclose that a wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals are adapted to communicate with another wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals using a mesh network.
Chen discloses that a wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals are adapted to communicate with another wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals using a mesh network (two UEs may communicate via a mesh network, according to [0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Dravida as modified by Chen with Chen such that a wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals are adapted to communicate with another wireless terminal of the plurality of wireless terminals using a mesh network.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to facilitate flexibility in network design (Chen: [0080]).
Conclusion
13. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW W GENACK whose telephone number is (571)272-7541. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy can be reached at 571-272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MATTHEW W GENACK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
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