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 § 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, 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 1-2, 4, 11 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fodor (US 2022/0295411) in view of Bell (US 2016/0056669) and Kim (US 2017/0310380)
Regarding claim 1, Fodor describes an apparatus for wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE) (fig. 4 Wireless Device (WD) 110), comprising:
a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: (fig. 4 & para. 194, WD 110 comprising processing circuitry 120 & device readable medium 130 to execute its function/method)
receive a first configuration for setting a first transmit power for one or more data transmissions and transmit, to a second UE, the one or more data transmissions using the first transmit power based at least in part on receiving the first configuration (fig. 1 & 4 & para. 44, WD 110 obtains from network node 160 data channel transmit power (first configuration) for transmitting on a sideline data channel to a receiving wireless device. See also abstract: sidelink control channel at the control channel transmit power);
Fodor fails to further explicitly describe:
receive a second configuration for setting a second transmit power for one or more energy harvesting transmissions; and transmit, to the second UE, the one or more energy harvesting transmissions using the second transmit power based at least in part on receiving the second configuration.
Bell also describe wireless signaling for energy charging (harvesting) (para. 24), further describing:
receive a second configuration for setting a second transmit power for one or more energy harvesting transmissions (fig. 4-5 & para. 4-5, regarding charging (harvesting) the device, new (second) configuration of transmission power is being communicated, para. 10).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that that first UE of Fodor to also receive a second configuration for setting a second transmit power for energy harvesting transmissions with a second UE as in Bell.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this will achieve the desired performance requirements for wireless power transmission (Bell, para. 5).
Fodor and Bell combined failed to further explicitly describe:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions.
Kim also describes wireless transmission from source to destination node via a relay (fig. 1), further describing:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions (para. 7, transmission of energy signal for energy harvesting).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the transmit power in Fodor and Bell be used for energy harvesting/collecting as in Kim.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables communications that simultaneously supply both data and power (Kim, para. 3).
Regarding claim 2, Fodor, Bell and Kim combined describe:
receive, from the second network device, an indication of a value for determining the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions; and determine the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions using the indicated value (Bell, fig. 4-5 & para. 4-5, regarding charging (harvesting) the device, new (second) configuration of transmission power is being communicated, para. 10).
Regarding claims 4 and 15, Fodor, Bell and Kim combined describe power control for sidelink transmission comprising energy harvesting transmission as described in claim 2. Fodor, Bell and Kim combined further describe:
wherein the indicated value is based at least in part on a quality of service (QoS) level associated with the one or more sidelink (SL) transmissions (Fodor para. 45 & 49, power control in the bidirection SL communication is dependent on QoS parameters).
Regarding claim 11, Fodor, Bell and Kim combined describe:
wherein each of the first configuration and the second configuration comprises one or more parameters including one or more of a maximum power (Fodor para. 18-19, all transmit power of the UE uses the parameter setting (first configuration & second configuration) of maximum transmit power).
Claims 1-2, 4, 11-12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fodor in view of and Kim.
Regarding claim 12, Fodor describes an apparatus for wireless communication at a second UE (fig. 4 Wireless Device (WD) 110), comprising:
a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: (fig. 4 & para. 194, [second] WD 110 comprising processing circuitry 120 & device readable medium 130 to execute its function/method):
transmit, to a first UE, an indication of a transmit from the first UE to the second UE, and receive, from the first UE, the transmissions at the indicated transmit power based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the transmit power (fig. 1 & 4 & para. 44, WD 110 obtains from network node 160 data channel transmit power (first configuration) for transmitting on a sideline data channel to a receiving wireless device. See also abstract: sidelink control channel at the control channel transmit power);
Fodor fails to further explicitly describe:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions;
perform, at the second UE, energy harvesting based at least in part on receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power.
Kim also describes wireless transmission from source to destination node via a relay (fig. 1), further describing:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions (para. 7, transmission of energy signal for energy harvesting).
perform, at the second UE, energy harvesting based at least in part on receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power (fig. 1 & para. 20-21, relay node 130, receives from source a signal wherein a certain portion is for energy harvesting).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the transmit power in Fodor and Bell be used for energy harvesting/collecting as in Kim.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables communications that simultaneously supply both data and power (Kim, para. 3).
Regarding claim 13, Foder and Kim combined already describe:
transmission power used for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions.
Foder and Kim combined further describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the indication of the transmit power are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, an indication of a value for determining the transmit power, wherein receiving the power transmissions at the indicated transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the value (Fodor, fig. 7 & para. 117, energy harvesting device 704 receives the RF energy harvesting signal 760 per the request which comprises the indicated transmit power, para. 38).
Regarding claim 20, Fodor describes an apparatus for wireless communication at a first user equipment (UE) (fig. 4 Wireless Device (WD) 110), comprising:
a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: (fig. 4 & para. 194, [second] WD 110 comprising processing circuitry 120 & device readable medium 130 to execute its function/method):
receive, from a second UE, one or more transmissions for assisting the first UE in setting a transmit power to the second UE, and determine the transmit based at least in part on the one or more transmissions; and transmit, to the second UE, the one or more transmissions using the determined transmit power (fig. 1 & 4 & para. 44, WD 110 obtains from network node 160 data channel transmit power (first configuration) for transmitting on a sideline data channel to a receiving wireless device. See also abstract: sidelink control channel at the control channel transmit power).
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions.
Kim also describes wireless transmission from source to destination node via a relay (fig. 1), further describing:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions (para. 7, transmission of energy signal for energy harvesting).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the transmit power in Fodor and Bell be used for energy harvesting/collecting as in Kim.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables communications that simultaneously supply both data and power (Kim, para. 3).
Regarding claim 27, Fodor describes an apparatus for wireless communication at a second user equipment (UE) (fig. 4 Wireless Device (WD) 110), comprising:
a processor; memory coupled with the processor; and instructions stored in the memory and executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: (fig. 4 & para. 194, WD 110 comprising processing circuitry 120 & device readable medium 130 to execute its function/method):
transmit, to a first UE, one or more transmissions for assisting the first UE in setting a transmit power to the second UE, and receive, from the first UE, the transmissions at the indicated transmit power based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the transmit power (fig. 1 & 4 & para. 44, WD 110 obtains from network node 160 data channel transmit power (first configuration) for transmitting on a sideline data channel to a receiving wireless device. See also abstract: sidelink control channel at the control channel transmit power);
Fodor fails to further explicitly describe:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions;
perform, at the second UE, energy harvesting based at least in part on receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power.
Kim also describes wireless transmission from source to destination node via a relay (fig. 1), further describing:
transmit power used for energy harvesting transmissions (para. 7, transmission of energy signal for energy harvesting).
perform, at the second UE, energy harvesting based at least in part on receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power (fig. 1 & para. 20-21, relay node 130, receives from source a signal wherein a certain portion is for energy harvesting).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the transmit power in Fodor and Bell be used for energy harvesting/collecting as in Kim.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables communications that simultaneously supply both data and power (Kim, para. 3).
Claims 21-22 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fodor in view of and Kim, and further in view of Kwak (US 2018/0041969).
Regarding claim 21, Foder and Kim combined fail to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to receive the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive sounding reference signals (SRS) from the second UE.
Kwak also describes wireless power control between base station, relay UE & remote UE (fig. 4), further describing:
wherein the instructions to receive the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: receive sounding reference signals (SRS) from the second UE (para. 49, D2D communications between relay UE 402 & remote UE 401 uses SRS).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the D2D communications between relay UE & remote UE in Fodor and Kim to use SRS as in Kwak.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables a balance of signal intensities between cellular & D2D (Kwak, para. 21).
Regarding claim 22, Fodor, Kim and Kwak combined describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: perform one or more measurements on the sounding reference signals (Kwak para. 49, use of SRS for backward channel estimation (measurements)), wherein the determining the transmit power is based at least in part on performing the one or more measurements (Kwak para. 50-51, the PUCCH reporting leads to the prior art’s embodiment for power control (transmit power)).
Regarding claim 28, Foder and Kim combined further describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, an indication of a value for determining the transmit power, wherein receiving the power transmissions at the indicated transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the value (Fodor, fig. 7 & para. 117, energy harvesting device 704 receives the RF energy harvesting signal 760 per the request which comprises the indicated transmit power, para. 38).
Yet Foder and Kim combined fail to further explicitly describe:
transmit indication being sounding reference signals to the first UE, wherein
receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication being sounding reference signals.
Kwak also describes wireless power control between base station, relay UE & remote UE (fig. 4), further describing:
receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication being sounding reference signals (para. 49, D2D communications between relay UE 402 & remote UE 401 uses SRS as being the indication).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective date of the claimed invention to specify that the D2D indications between relay UE & remote UE in Fodor and Kim to use SRS as in Kwak.
The motivation for combining the teachings is that this enables a balance of signal intensities between cellular & D2D (Kwak, para. 21).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5-10, 14, 16-19 and 23-26 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE, feedback associated with the one or more energy harvesting transmissions; and
determine an updated transmit power for subsequent energy harvesting transmissions to the second UE based at least in part on the received feedback.
Regarding claim 14, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, feedback associated with the transmit power used for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions; and
receive subsequent energy harvesting transmissions from the first UE at an updated transmit power based at least in part on transmitting the feedback.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to receive the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE, feedback on a previous transmit power used for a previous energy harvesting transmission, wherein determining the transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions is based at least in part on the received feedback.
Regarding claim 24, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to receive the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE, sounding reference signals and feedback on a previous transmit power used for a previous energy harvesting transmission.
Regarding claim 29, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, feedback on a previous transmit power used for a previous energy harvesting transmission, wherein receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the feedback.
Regarding claim 30, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the one or more transmissions are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, sounding reference signals and feedback on a previous transmit power used for a previous energy harvesting transmission, wherein receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the sounding reference signals and the feedback.
For claims 3, 14 & 23-24 and 29-30, the closest prior art found, Tohzaka (US 2017/0034791) describing a terminal #4 receiving transmission power setting from terminal #1 for its transmission power for downstream terminal in a relay path to possibly energy harvest (fig. 8 & para. 27-28 + 41), in combination with Fodor and Elshafie, fail to render the above additional features as a whole obvious.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
identify an alpha value to use to determine the second transmit power based at least in part on a fraction of the second transmit power used at the second UE for energy harvesting; and
determine the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions using the identified alpha value.
Regarding claim 16, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the indication of the transmit power are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, an indication of an alpha value for the first UE to use to determine the transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions based at least in part on a fraction of the transmit power used at the second UE for energy harvesting, wherein receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the alpha value.
For both claims 5 & 16, the closest prior art, Elshafie (US 2022/0352751) describing signaling for energy harvesting for signal portion representing a fraction of power allocated for energy harvesting (para. 88), in combination with Fodor and Elshafie, fail to render the above additional features as a whole obvious.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE, an indication of a pathloss between the first UE and the second UE,
wherein the pathloss is based at least in part on a fraction of the second transmit power used at the second UE for energy harvesting; and
determine the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions using the indicated pathloss.
Regarding claim 17, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
transmit, to the first UE, an indication of a pathloss between the first UE and the second UE based at least in part on a fraction of the transmit power used at the second UE for energy harvesting, wherein receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the pathloss.
For both claims 8 & 17, the closest prior art found, Park (US 2022/0377720) describing controlling sidelink transmission power where base station configures in association with whether the TX UE needs to set a sidelink transmission power value based on a sidelink pathloss estimated value and/or a downlink pathloss estimated value, and Kwak (US 2018/0041969) describing power control for D2D communication where D2D RX UE sends path loss measurement report 408 to D2D TX UE for D2D TX UE to determine its TX_power (fig. 4 & para. 80-81), in combination with Fodor and Elshafie, fail to render the above additional features as a whole obvious.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions are further executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
receive, from the second UE, an indication of a class of the second UE;
identify one or more values for determining the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions to the second UE based at least in part on the class of the second UE; and
determine the second transmit power for the one or more energy harvesting transmissions using a first value of the one or more values.
Regarding claim 18, the prior art fails to further explicitly describe:
wherein the instructions to transmit the indication of the transmit power are executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: transmit, to the first UE, an indication of a class of the second UE, wherein receiving the one or more energy harvesting transmissions at the indicated transmit power is based at least in part on transmitting the indication of the class of the second UE.
For both claims 9 and 18, the closest prior art, Vannithamby (US 2015/0201342) describing energy-harvesting in wireless network where network device 37 differentiate the energy-harvesting devices by using a “Device Type” value, The energy-harvesting device are separately categorized so that they can be de-prioritized for access or used for other network policy (para. 45), in combination with Fodor and Elshafie, fail to render the above additional features as a whole obvious.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Li (US 2014/0011543) describing wireless communication networks with energy harvesting between MS & BS & network (title & fig. 7-17), Park (US 2022/0377720) describing control TX power of UE (title & fig. 4 & para. 102-103), Bai (US 2021/0051602) describing first UE transmitting an indication of the power control configuration to a second UE (abstract), and Liu (US 2018/0343644) describing communication between network device, first terminal & second terminal where transmission parameter set may include one or more of the following transmission parameters: transmit power (fig. 1 & 8 & para. 8).
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WARNER WONG
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2469
/WARNER WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469