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 .
This Office Action is in response to the preliminary amendment correspondence filed on 02/13/2024.
Claims 1-14, & 24-25 are pending and rejected.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/13/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-11, & 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US20140011543A1) in view of Hamel et al (US7081693B2).
Regarding claim 1 (and method claim 25), Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus comprising:
communication circuitry configured to receive wireless signals from or transmit wireless signals to a second wireless telecommunications apparatus ([0008]-[0009], base station communication module sends/receive control/data signals, mobile station includes transceiver to send/receive control data signals with BS), the communication circuitry using energy stored in an energy storage device to receive or transmit the wireless signals ([0008], energy storage module stores energy from harvester); and
control circuitry configured to:
control the communication circuitry to suspend the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus during a time period when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry ([0125], [0129], BS hands off traffic and “completely turns OFF” after reaching energy threshold; stored energy at/below threshold triggers BS to turn OFF; explicitly “stop service/turn off air interface due to low stored energy,” which algins very well with “suspend receiving/transmitting”); and
But Li fails to teach control the communication circuitry to resume the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus after a time period of accumulating sufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry.
However, Hamel teaches control the communication circuitry to resume the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus after a time period of accumulating sufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry (col 10 lines 41- 58, col 11 lines 1-7, accumulate energy [Wingdings font/0xE0] resume transmission description (almost identical phrase); shuts off transmitter…until enough energy is accumulated…to send another burst of data”, switch turns on when storage reaches “higher threshold” and enough charge exists to transmit).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Regarding claim 2, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the suspending of the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus is initiated when an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is below a threshold ([0123], [0129], Direct threshold language and direct link to turning off a wireless telecom interface; stored energy level…at or below the energy threshold value that triggers the BS…to turn OFF; energy threshold level…to turn off the air interface).
Regarding claim 3, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the suspending of the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus is initiated in response to an initiation signal received from the second wireless telecommunications apparatus ([0126], keep Rx chain on “to receive paging and random access…so that the BS knows when to return to service”….received signals in a cellular comm context influencing operational state).
Regarding claim 4, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the initiation signal is received in response to a request signal transmitted to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus, the control circuitry being configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit the request signal when an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is below a threshold ([0124]-[0125], closest is threshold-triggered handoff/turn-off behavior, energy threshold triggers handoff/turn OFF flow).
Regarding claim 5, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit an assistance signal comprising assistance data to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus, the assistance data being usable by the second wireless telecommunications apparatus to determine when to send the initiation signal ([0008], [0020], communication module sends “energy related information to MS; energy-based association decision using “energy module information”; this is explicitly “send assistance/energy info to the other node for decision-making”).
Regarding claim 6, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the assistance data comprises one or more of a current amount of energy stored in the energy storage device, a rate of depletion of energy stored in the energy storage device, a rate of consumption of energy of the first wireless telecommunications apparatus and a required duration of the time period of accumulating sufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry ([0024], states that the “energy related information includes at least one of: an energy level…an energy harvest rate…an energy consumption rate…and a maximum storage capacity).
Regarding claim 7, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein:
the control circuitry is configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit an alert signal to the second telecommunications apparatus when an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is below a first threshold ([0008], [00024], teaches sending energy-related information from the first wireless node to the second wireless node (mobile station), which functions as an “alert/notification” about low-energy capability/condition; communication module sends “energy related information to a mobile station; energy related information includes “energy level…harvest rate…consumption rate…”; and
the suspending of the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus is initiated when an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is below a second threshold ([0123], [0129], discloses energy thresholds that trigger turning OFF/suspending; stored energy level “at or below the energy threshold value that triggers the BS 401 to turn OFF”, energy threshold level…to turn off the air interface), the second threshold being lower than the first threshold ([0125], explicitly describes multiple thresholds, including at least one that results in a full shutdown/turn OFF, discloses a “second energy threshold value after which the BS 401…completely turns OFF; multiple thresholds through earlier warning/behavior change vs later full OFF).
Regarding claim 8, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the first wireless telecommunications apparatus to remain in a connected mode with the second wireless telecommunications apparatus during the suspending of the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus ([0126], teaches turning off portions/modules and keeping some receive capability on (e.g. paging/random access) while in a low-energy/turned-off state, keep its receive chain ON to receive paging and random access signals).
Regarding claim 9, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
determine, after the time period of accumulating energy in the energy storage device, if an amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is above a threshold ([0126], teaches the BS waking/returning to service once enough energy has been harvested (i.e. an energy threshold condition checked after time; wake up once it has harvested certain minimum amount of energy (for example, an energy threshold level);
if the amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is above the threshold, control the first wireless telecommunications apparatus to remain in the connected mode with the second wireless telecommunications apparatus ([0126], supports returning to service/resuming operations when energy is sufficient; return to service after harvests enough energy—connected mode); and
if the amount of energy stored in the energy storage device is not above the threshold, control the first wireless telecommunications apparatus to transition from the connected mode to a disconnected mode ([0125], supports service termination/turn off, and explicitly describes handing off traffic and turning off).
Regarding claim 10, Li teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein the control circuitry is configured to control the communication circuitry to transmit a capability signal to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus indicating an ability of the first wireless telecommunications apparatus to suspend receiving of wireless signals from or transmission of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus (([0008], [0020], teaches the first apparatus sends energy-related information to the second apparatus which supports the second apparatus making association/handoff decisions based on that energy capability/status; energy module information indicates whether the node may shut down/may be unreliable due to low energy).
Regarding claim 11, Li fails to teach a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein:
the first wireless telecommunications apparatus is connected to a sensor; and
during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to use available energy to obtain a measurement from the sensor.
However, Hamel teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein:
the first wireless telecommunications apparatus is connected to a sensor (col 7 lines 58-67, explicitly discusses wireless sensing module and transmitting sensor data; provides Vcc power to wireless sensing module 44 for transmitting sensor data); and
during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to use available energy to obtain a measurement from the sensor (col 10 lines 41- 58, col 11 lines 1-7, accumulate energy [Wingdings font/0xE0] resume transmission description (almost identical phrase); shuts off transmitter…until enough energy is accumulated…to send another burst of data”, switch turns on when storage reaches “higher threshold” and enough charge exists to transmit).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Regarding claim 24, Li teaches a method of controlling a first wireless telecommunications apparatus, the first wireless telecommunications apparatus comprising communication circuitry configured to receive wireless signals from or transmit wireless signals to a second wireless telecommunications apparatus, the communication circuitry using energy stored in an energy storage device to receive or transmit the wireless signals ([0008]-[0009], base station communication module sends/receive control/data signals, mobile station includes transceiver to send/receive control data signals with BS; energy storage module stores energy from harvester), wherein the method comprises:
controlling the communication circuitry to suspend the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus during a time period when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry ([0125], [0129], BS hands off traffic and “completely turns OFF” after reaching energy threshold; stored energy at/below threshold triggers BS to turn OFF; explicitly “stop service/turn off air interface due to low stored energy,” which algins very well with “suspend receiving/transmitting”); and
But Li fails to teach controlling the communication circuitry to resume the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus after a time period of accumulating sufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry.
However, Hamel teaches controlling the communication circuitry to resume the receiving of wireless signals from or transmitting of wireless signals to the second wireless telecommunications apparatus after a time period of accumulating sufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry (col 10 lines 41- 58, col 11 lines 1-7, accumulate energy [Wingdings font/0xE0] resume transmission description (almost identical phrase); shuts off transmitter…until enough energy is accumulated…to send another burst of data”, switch turns on when storage reaches “higher threshold” and enough charge exists to transmit).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al (US20140011543A1) in view of Hamel et al (US7081693B2) in further view of Vannithamby et al (US9271242B2).
Regarding claim 12, Li and Hamel fail to teach a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein: the first wireless telecommunications apparatus is connected to an application processor; and during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to use available energy to operate the application processor.
However, Vannithamby teaches the first wireless telecommunications apparatus is connected to an application processor (col 14 lines 23-27 expressly teaches that the apparatus includes processors, and explicitly lists application processors); and
during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to use available energy to operate the application processor (col 3 lines 57-67, col 5 lines 66-67, teaches that the UE can be an energy harvesting device which harvests energy and stores harvested energy; the UE 15 may be or include an energy harvesting device that is configured to harvest or generate energy for use in connection with communication and/or other operation (e.g. processing) of the UE 15; for energy storage).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. Further, Vannithamby teaches communication configurations for energy-harvesting wireless devices and explicitly recognizes that energy-harvesting devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices include processing hardware (including application processors) and may report energy storage information to support energy-aware communication operation, thereby further motivating reduced/limited communication behavior while still permitting local processing during low-energy periods. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Regarding claim 13, Li and Hamel fail to teach a wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein, during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to control the communication circuitry to receive wireless signals for measurement only.
However, Vannithamby teaches a wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein, during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry (col 1 lines 55-57, col 2 lines 1-3, may not have an amount of energy sufficient to communicate, storage level is too low to support reliable communication), the control circuitry is configured to control the communication circuitry to receive wireless signals for measurement only (col 11 lines 30-50, teaches that energy storage information (including the energy storage level) is provided to the network for scheduling supporting control of reception/transmission behavior in dependence on energy level (because the network schedules communication to avoid wasted or failed reception/transmission).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. Further, Vannithamby teaches communication configurations for energy-harvesting wireless devices and explicitly recognizes that energy-harvesting devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices include processing hardware (including application processors) and may report energy storage information to support energy-aware communication operation, thereby further motivating reduced/limited communication behavior while still permitting local processing during low-energy periods. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Regarding claim 14, Li and Hamel fails to teach a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein, during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to perform time and/or frequency synchronization and/or to maintain a clock of the first wireless telecommunications apparatus.
However, Vannithamby teaches a first wireless telecommunications apparatus wherein, during the time when there is insufficient energy in the energy storage device usable by the communication circuitry, the control circuitry is configured to perform time and/or frequency synchronization and/or to maintain a clock of the first wireless telecommunications apparatus (col 3 lines 52-67, networks operating in conformance with one or more protocols specified by the 3GPP & UE may access via a radio link BS, energy storage information may be sent via RRC message—exchanging RRC messages and operating maintaining timing/frequency synchronization and clocking).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the energy-harvesting wireless telecommunications system of Li, which teaches controlling a wireless node’s operation based on available stores energy and turning off communication service when energy falls below a threshold and returning to service after sufficient energy is harvested, by incorporating the well-known stored-energy threshold gating and restart mechanism of Hamel, which explicitly shuts off a wireless transmitter when stored energy is insufficient and resumes transmission only after enough energy has accumulated in the storage device to exceed a higher threshold. Further, Vannithamby teaches communication configurations for energy-harvesting wireless devices and explicitly recognizes that energy-harvesting devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices may lack sufficient stored energy to reliably communicate, while also disclosing that such devices include processing hardware (including application processors) and may report energy storage information to support energy-aware communication operation, thereby further motivating reduced/limited communication behavior while still permitting local processing during low-energy periods. This combination is motivated by the predictable benefit of improving reliability and preventing brownout/undervoltage operation of the communication circuitry, while conserving limited harvested energy and ensuring communications are performed only when adequate stored energy is available. Thus, the combined teachings yield a wireless apparatus that suspends receiving/transmitting during low-energy period and resumes after accumulating sufficient energy, including threshold-based initiated and energy-aware operational control as recited in the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Vannithamby et al (US20230199669A1) discloses methods and devices for power configurations in radio communication devices
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/MICHAEL WILLIAM ABBATINE JR./Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419