Prosecution Insights
Last updated: July 17, 2026
Application No. 18/644,561

Enhanced Power Save Mode and Fallback Operation Thereof

Non-Final OA §102§112
Filed
Apr 24, 2024
Priority
Oct 25, 2021 — provisional 63/271,687 +3 more
Examiner
HOUSHMAND, HOOMAN
Art Unit
2465
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Ofinno LLC
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
55%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 5m
Est. Remaining
79%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 55% of resolved cases
55%
Career Allowance Rate
182 granted / 329 resolved
-2.7% vs TC avg
Strong +23% interview lift
Without
With
+23.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
4y 7m
Avg Prosecution
2 currently pending
Career history
337
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.6%
-39.4% vs TC avg
§103
85.1%
+45.1% vs TC avg
§102
8.4%
-31.6% vs TC avg
§112
4.7%
-35.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 329 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §112
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 . Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 03/23/2026 07/18/2024 05/17/2024, 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, 45 pages, 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. Specification, pages 1-2, the description of several Figures, FIGs. 15A and 15B, FIG. 16-FIG. 19, FIG. 21-FIG. 24, is identical, which is improper. Each Figure needs to be described individually and uniquely, and, the descriptions of Figures may not be identical, they need to be different, from one another. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a): (a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112: The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the enablement requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to enable one skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and/or use the invention. Claim 20 recites: A station (STA) comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the STA to: receive, from an access point (AP), while in a first power save mode, a first frame indicating downlink bufferable units (BUs) for the STA; and after receiving the first frame from the AP, switch to a second power save mode. The scope of the claim is not commensurate with the scope of the enabling disclosure. The claim covers all known and yet unknown embodiments. The disclosure only has enablement for specific embodiments. The claim needs to include the elements for an enabled embodiment. See In re Wands, 858 F.2d 731, 737, 8 USPQ2d 1400, 1404 (Fed. Cir. 1998). See also MPEP § 2164.01(a) and § 2164.04. See also the, Supreme Court of the United States, decision, rendered on May 18, 2023, regarding, Amgen Inc., et al., Petitioners V. Sanofi, et al. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 16 recites “a third TIM element”, Claim 1 recites “a first traffic indication map (TIM) element”. There is no mention of a second TIM element. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 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. (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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Chitrakar (US 20210360522 A1). Claim 1. Chitrakar teaches a station (STA) comprising: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the STA to (FIG. 21): receive, from an access point (AP), while in a first power save mode, a first beacon frame comprising a first traffic indication map (TIM) element indicating downlink bufferable units (BUs) for the STA, wherein during the first power save mode the STA wakes to listen for beacon frames based on a first listening pattern ([0093] [0099]- [0102]); and after receiving the downlink BUs from the AP, switch to a second power save mode, wherein during the second power save mode the STA wakes to listen for beacon frames based on a second listening pattern ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 2. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein, according to the first listening pattern, the STA wakes to listen for beacon frames at least once during a listen interval ([0093] [0099]- [0102]). Claim 3. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein, according to the second listening pattern, the STA wakes a pre-determined number of times to listen for consecutive beacon frames ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 4. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 3, wherein the pre-determined number of times is pre-configured in the STA and the AP ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 5. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein, according to the second listening pattern, the STA wakes to listen for consecutive beacon frames during a pre-determined interval ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 6. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 5, wherein the pre-determined interval is pre-configured in the STA and the AP ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 7. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 5, wherein the pre-determined interval comprises a number of beacon intervals or a number of listen intervals ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 8. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to transmit a frame to the AP to retrieve the downlink BUs ([0093] [0099]- [0102]). Claim 9. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 8, wherein the frame to retrieve the downlink BUs comprises a power save poll frame ([0093] [0099]- [0102]). Claim 10. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to switch a power management mode of the STA from an active mode to the first power save mode ([0093] [0099]- [0102]). Claim 11. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to: receive a frame comprising a power management (PM) subfield; and switch the power management from the active mode to the first power save mode based on the PM subfield ([0093] [0099]- [0102]). Claim 12. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the STA to switch to the second power save mode based on the downlink BUs comprising at least one latency sensitive BU ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 13. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to: transmit, to the AP, an association request frame comprising a first capability element; and receive, from the AP, an association response frame comprising a second capability element ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claim 14. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to receive, while in the second power save mode, a second beacon frame comprising a second TIM element indicating downlink BUs of latency sensitive traffic for the STA and a broadcast target wake time (TWT) element ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113] [0133] [0134] [0139]). Claim 15. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 14, wherein the broadcast TWT element indicates at least one of: a restricted TWT (r-TWT) service period (SP) or a trigger-enabled TWT SP ([0004] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0099] [0108] [0113] [0133] [0134] [0139]). Claim 16. Chitrakar teaches the STA of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the STA to: receive, while in the second power save mode, at least one beacon frame comprising a third TIM element; and in response to the third TIM element of each of the at least one beacon frame indicating no downlink BUs for the STA, switch from the second power save mode to the first power save mode ([0004] [0023] [0027] FIG. 19 [0053] [0069] [0093] [0095] [0099] [0108] [0113]). Claims 17-19 are rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claims 1, 3 and 5. Claim 20 is rejected substantially the same as the corresponding elements in Claim 1. Conclusion Prior art made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and claims: KWON (US 20210385692 A1) [0004] [0065] [0066] [0068] [0087] [0090] [0096] [0097] [0099] SAMPATH HEMANTH (CA 2911327 A1) Abstract Beach (US 20030086443 A1) [0017] PARK (US 20130114583 A1) [0045] Choi (US 9538470 B2) Abstract Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOOMAN HOUSHMAND whose telephone number is (571)270-1817. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5 PT. 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, AYMAN ABAZA can be reached at (571)270-0422. 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. /H.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2465 /AYMAN A ABAZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465
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Prosecution Timeline

Apr 24, 2024
Application Filed
Jun 04, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §112 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
55%
Grant Probability
79%
With Interview (+23.4%)
4y 7m (~2y 5m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 329 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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