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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 11, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vannithamby (US 2015/0201342 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Vannithamby discloses a core node (Fig. 6 and 66th paragraph, network device) for communication with a wireless device (Fig. 2, UE 15) and a network node (Fig. 2, RAN 20), the core node comprising processing circuitry (Fig. 6, processor 604) configured to:
receive a first indication that the wireless device is an energy harvesting device (Fig. 4, block 402, network device receives from a user equipment an indication that the UE is an energy harvesting device); and
modify a network procedure based at least on the first indication (46th paragraph, the network device may modify a schedule for communication with the energy harvesting device. The network device may modify a priority or technique, e.g., signaling scheme, for communication with the energy harvesting device or the network device may be configured to schedule communication with the energy harvesting device in a manner that reduces a likelihood of the device losing energy due to leakage or in a manner that reduces interference).
Regarding claim 3, Vannithamby discloses that wherein the network procedure is at least one of a core node procedure (46th paragraph, the network device may modify a schedule for communication with the energy harvesting device. The network device may modify a priority or technique, e.g., signaling scheme, for communication with the energy harvesting device) and a network procedure (alternative).
Regarding claim 4, Vannithamby discloses that wherein the first indication indicates at least one of: a first energy threshold associated with the wireless device entering a powered-down state (alternative); a second energy threshold associated with the wireless device exiting the powered-down state (alternative); an energy harvesting schedule of the wireless device (41st paragraph, the message may identify expected energy harvesting pattern); and a first energy harvesting rate of the wireless device (alternative), the first energy harvesting rate being at least one of: an average energy harvesting rate; a predicted energy harvesting rate; and a historical energy harvesting rate.
Regarding claim 11, Vannithamby discloses that wherein the first indication is received at least one of: via non-access stratum, NAS, signaling, from the wireless device and via signaling from the network node (Fig. 2, the indication from the UE must traverse and relay by the RAN before being received at the network device in the core network).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 23-25, 28, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Butt et al (US 2022/0346022 A1).
Regarding claims 23 and 31, Butt discloses a network node (Fig. 6, access node) for communication with a core node (Fig. 6, application server) and a wireless device (Fig. 6, terminal device), the network node comprising processing circuitry (Fig. 6, the access node must include at least a processing circuitry) configured to:
receive information from the wireless device indicating that the wireless device is an energy harvesting device (Fig. 6, block 602, access node receives a report indicating current charge level and energy harvesting state from the terminal device);
cause transmission of a first indication to the core node, the first indication being based on the received information (Fig. 6, block 603, access node transmits report current charge level and energy harvesting state to the application server) and configured to cause the core node to modify a network procedure (Fig. 6, blocks 604 and 605, application server evaluates information either enables disables transmission);
receive a first instruction from the core node, the first instruction being based on the modified network procedure and the first indication (Fig. 6, block 605, access node receives instruction from application server); and
implement the first instruction (Fig. 6, block 607, application server, access node, and terminal device operate in an operating mode).
Regarding claim 24, Butt discloses that wherein the modifying of the network procedure includes at least one of: buffering downlink data until activity is detected from the wireless device (89th paragraph, any scheduled non-critical downlink transmissions may be buffered in the application server for later transmission); and modifying a paging procedure used to page the wireless device (63rd paragraph, the terminal device will not be paged upon new data arrival).
Regarding claim 25, Butt discloses that wherein the network procedure is at least one of a core node procedure (Fig. 6) and a network node procedure (Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 28, Butt discloses that wherein the first instruction is to configured to cause the network node to pause a paging procedure associated with the wireless device at a first time (63rd paragraph, the terminal device will not be paged upon new data arrival).
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 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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vannithamby in view of Butt et al (US 2022/0346022 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Vannithamby discloses that the network device may modify a schedule for communication with the energy harvesting device. The network device may modify a priority or technique, e.g., signaling scheme, for communication with the energy harvesting device (46th paragraph). Vannithamby does not disclose that wherein the modifying of the network procedure includes at least one of buffering downlink data until activity is detected from the wireless device and/or modifying a paging procedure used to page the wireless device. Butt discloses that the terminal device will not be paged upon new data arrival (63rd paragraph) and any scheduled non-critical downlink transmissions may be buffered in the application server for later transmission (89th paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing data of the claimed invention to buffer data and/or modify paging in Vannithamby’s system, as suggested by Butt, to prevent loss of data and/or waste resource in paging of UE when UE is in powered down mode.
Claims 26 and 27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Butt in view of Vannithamby.
Regarding claim 26, Butt discloses indicating current energy harvesting rate (Fig. 4A, block 407). Butt does not disclose wherein the first indication indicates at least one of: a first energy threshold associated with the wireless device entering a powered-down state (alternative); a second energy threshold associated with the wireless device exiting the powered-down state (alternative); an energy harvesting schedule of the wireless device; and a first energy harvesting rate of the wireless device, the first energy harvesting rate being at least one of: an average energy harvesting rate; a predicted energy harvesting rate; and a historical energy harvesting rate (alternative). Vannithamby discloses that the UE may indicate energy harvesting pattern (41st paragraph). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing data of the claimed invention to indicate energy harvesting pattern in Butt’s system, as suggested by Vannithamby, for network management purpose.
Regarding claim 27, Butt discloses that wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: receive additional information from the wireless device indicating at least one of: a current energy level of the wireless device (Fig. 6, block 609, access node received current energy level); a current energy harvesting rate (Fig. 6, block 609, access node receives current energy harvesting rate); a first expected time to reach the first energy threshold (alternative); a second expected time to reach the second energy threshold (alternative); and cause a transmission of a second indication to the core node (Fig. 6, block 610), the second indication being based on the received additional information, the first instruction being further based on the second indication (Fig. 6, block 611).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-10 and 29 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Xu et al (US 2022/0312315 A1), generally related, discloses splitting power between energy harvesting and RF signal reception (Figs. 5-9).
Kadan Veedu et al (US 2024/0276376 A1), same assignee, discloses signaling optimization for wireless devices operating on harvested energy (Figs. 8-11).
Elshafie et al (US 2022/0385104 A1), generally related, discloses channel reporting for energy harvesting at a device (Figs. 17-25).
Elshafie et al (US 2022/0352751 A1), generally related, discloses signaling for energy harvesting (Figs. 7-10 and 13-14).
Elkotby et al (US 2023/0057994 A1), generally related, discloses network assisted beamformed energy harvesting signaling (Figs. 22-23 and 27-34).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH VU H LY whose telephone number is (571)272-3175. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8am-5pm.
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ANH VU H. LY
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2472
/ANH VU H LY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472