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 § 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 1 recites the limitation "the communication state" in line 3 of the claim. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-15 are rejected as dependents of claim 1.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 is interpreted to mean that the terminal device transmits target indication information and/or content indicated by the target indication information to a network device. The “target indication information and/or content indicated by the target indication information” are categories of the communication state.
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.
Claims 1, 12, 13, 16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ma et al. (WO 2021/057473).
Regarding claim 1, Ma teaches a communication state indication method, comprising:
indicating, by a terminal device by whether to send target indication information and/or a content
indicated by the target indication information, the communication state of the terminal device to a
network device, wherein the terminal device communicates with the network device through
backscattering (See abstract and [0012] teaches sending target indication information and/or content in the form of a scheduling request from the terminal device to the network device. [0046] teaches backscatter communication between the devices.).
Regarding claim 12, Ma teaches the target indication information comprises a second type of indication information, wherein the second type of indication information is used to indicate a data transmission requirement state of the terminal device (See abstract and [0056]).
Regarding claim 13, Ma teaches the second type of indication information comprises fifth indication information, wherein the fifth indication information is used to indicate that the terminal device has a data transmission requirement; wherein the fifth indication information is sent by the terminal device in a case where an energy harvesting is completed (See abstract and [0056]. [0046] teaches backscatter communication between the devices.).
Regarding claim 16, Ma teaches a communication state indication method, comprising: determining, by a network device, a communication state of a terminal device according to whether target indication information of the terminal device and/or a content indicated by the target indication information is received, wherein the terminal device communicates with the network device through backscattering (See abstract and [0012] teaches sending target indication information and/or content in the form of a scheduling request from the terminal device to the network device. [0046] teaches backscatter communication between the devices.).
Regarding claim 19, Ma teaches a terminal device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to perform: indicating, by whether to send target indication information and/or a content indicated by the target; indication information, the communication state of the terminal device to a network device, wherein the terminal device communicates with the network device through backscattering (See abstract and [0012] teaches sending target indication information and/or content in the form of a scheduling request from the terminal device to the network device. [0046] teaches backscatter communication between the devices.).
Regarding claim 20, Ma teaches network device, comprising: a processor and a memory, wherein the memory is configured to store a computer program, the processor is configured to call and run the computer program stored in the memory to perform the method according to claim 16 (See abstract and [0101]).
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.
Claim(s) 2, 3, 17, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma as applied to claims above, and further in view of Awoniyi et al. (US Pub No. 2012/0115471).
Regarding claims 2 and 17, Ma does not teach the target indication information comprises a first type of indication information, wherein the first type of indication information is used to indicate a data transmission state of the terminal device; wherein the data transmission state of the terminal device comprises at least one of: a start of data transmission, an end of data transmission, or data transmission abnormality.
Awoniki teaches the target indication information comprises a first type of indication information, wherein the first type of indication information is used to indicate a data transmission state of the terminal device; wherein the data transmission state of the terminal device comprises at least one of: a start of data transmission, an end of data transmission, or data transmission abnormality (See [0066]).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed would have been motivated to modify MA’s device to include Awoniki’s teachings in order to better organize scheduled transmission and ensure proper communication. Therefore, the invention as a whole would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made.
Regarding claims 3 and 18, Ma does not teach the first type of indication information comprises at least one of: first indication information, used to indicate the terminal device to start data transmission; second indication information, used to indicate the terminal device to end data transmission; third indication information, used to indicate that data transmission abnormality is caused due to power fluctuation; or fourth indication information, used to indicate the data transmission abnormality is caused due to insufficient power.
Awoniki teaches the first type of indication information comprises at least one of: first indication information, used to indicate the terminal device to start data transmission; second indication information, used to indicate the terminal device to end data transmission; third indication information, used to indicate that data transmission abnormality is caused due to power fluctuation; or fourth indication information, used to indicate the data transmission abnormality is caused due to insufficient power (See [0066]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS S MCCORMACK whose telephone number is (571)272-0841. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/THOMAS S MCCORMACK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686