Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
2. This Office Action is in response to application filed on 09/20/2024. Claims 1-30 were previously pending. Claims 1-30 are rejected.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 09/20/2024 and 01/13/2026 is/are is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. 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.
4.1. Claims 1-23 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.
4.2. Claim 1 recite “An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE)” is itself unclear. “An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE)” may be interpreted the internal hardware and software system—such as antennas, transceivers, and processors—inside a mobile device that enables it to connect to cellular or Wi-Fi networks. Dependent claims 2-12 rejected for the same reason.
4.3. Claim 13 recite “An apparatus for wireless communications at a network entity” is itself unclear. “An apparatus for wireless communications at a network entity” may be a hardware and software component—typically found in a base station (such as a gNB in 5G) or core network node—designed to manage, process, and transmit or receive wireless signals. Dependent claims 14-23 rejected for the same reason.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 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.
5.1. 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 of this title, 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.
5.2. 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.
5.3. Claim(s) 1-3, 8-10, 13-15, 18-21, and 24-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kwak et al., (“Kwak”, US 2022/0078852 A1) in view of Elkotby et al., ("Elkotby", US 2022/0225402 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Kwak teaches, An apparatus for wireless communications at a user equipment (UE) (115) (Kwak, FIG.1, system 100, base stations 105, UE 115, [0044]: The wireless communications system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115), comprising:
at least one processor (1040); and
memory (1030) coupled to the at least one processor (1040), the memory storing instructions (1035) executable by the at least on processor to cause the UE (115) to (Kwak, FIG.10, memory 1030, processor 1040, [0171]: The memory 1030 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1035 including instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor 1040 to perform various functions):
receive a plurality of synchronization signal blocks over a plurality of respective transmission beams (405), each synchronization signal block corresponding to at least one respective (Kwak, FIG.4, beam 405, [0108-109]: Receive SSBs over various beams 405 from a base station 105. For instance, base station 105 may transmit SSB with an index SSB0 on beam 405-a, an SSB with an index SSB1 on beam 405-b, an SSB with an index SSB2 on beam 405-c, and an SSB with an index SSB3 on beam 405-d. A UE 115 may monitor SSB resources for the SSBs);
monitor a set of one or more (Kwak, [0109-110]: A UE 115 may monitor SSB resources for the SSBs. UE 115 may indicate a preferred beam to base station 105 by selecting a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource associated with the preferred beam. PRACH resources may be mapped to SSB indices (e.g., beams 405) at a one-to-one ratio For instance, PRACH resource 0 may be mapped to SSB0 (e.g., and corresponding beam 405-a), … etc. Thus, UE 115 may transmit a first random access message (e.g., message 1 in a four-step RACH procedure or message A in a two-step RACH procedure) on a PRACH resource that is mapped to the preferred beam.
Kwak does not expressly teaches
monitor a set of one or more energy transfer resources for one or more energy transfer signals, the set of one or more energy transfer resources
perform energy harvesting using the one or more energy transfer signals.
Elkotby teaches
(Elkotby, [0110-111]: energy harvesting (EH) signals are transmitted in a subset of resource blocks (RB)s within the RB range associated with an SSB and in slots occupied by the SSB, the SSB being transmitted on a specific beam);
monitor a set of one or more energy transfer resources for one or more energy transfer signals, the set of one or more energy transfer resources (Elkotby, FIG.1, wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) 102, [0030]: Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d may be interchangeably referred to as a UE. FIG.19, [0201]: enabling EH signaling using a contention-based feedback. [0204]: the EH WTRU may monitor feedback information transmitted over preceding time resources within the configured contention-based transmission window); and
perform energy harvesting using the one or more energy transfer signals (Elkotby, [0206]: The EH WTRU may perform energy harvesting (e.g., transmit an EH signal) according to the received EH signal configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to receive a set of SSBs over a set of respective transmission beams, each SSB corresponding to at least one respective resource, as taught by Kwak, to monitor a set of energy resources for one or more energy signal and perform energy harvesting using the energy signal, as taught by Elkotby.
Doing so provides a method to receive a set of SSB over a set of respective transmission beams, each SSB corresponding to at least one respective resource, and to monitor a set of energy resources for one or more energy signal and perform energy harvesting using the energy signa, (Elkotby, [0110-111, 206]).
Regarding Claim 2, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE (115) to:
receive, based at least in part on the monitoring, the one or more energy transfer signals using a spatial filter that is associated with the set of one or more energy transfer resources according to a further mapping between the spatial filter and the set of one or more energy transfer resources, wherein the spatial filter is not associated with a first transmission beam corresponding to the first synchronization signal block (Kwak, [0079]: a UE 115 may use beam sweeping techniques as part of beam forming (“spatial filter”) operations. Some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, or beam selection signals) may be transmitted by a base station 105 multiple times in different directions. Transmissions in different beam directions may be used to identify (e.g., by a transmitting device, such as a base station 105, or by a receiving device, such as a UE 115) a beam direction for later transmission or reception by the base station 105).
Regarding Claim 3, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE (115) to:
receive, based at least in part on the monitoring, the one or more energy transfer signals using a spatial filter that is associated with a first transmission beam corresponding to the first synchronization signal block according to a further mapping between the first transmission beam corresponding to the first synchronization signal block and the set of one or more energy transfer resources (Kwak, [0083]: a receiving device may use a single receive configuration to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving a data signal). The single receive configuration may be aligned in a beam direction determined based on listening according to different receive configuration directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have a highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), or otherwise acceptable signal quality based on listening according to multiple beam directions).
Regarding Claim 8, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE (115) to:
receive system information, master information, or a random access message, comprising an indication of the mapping (Kwak, [0090]: receive configuration information from base station 105-a to UE 115-a. The configuration information may include SSB configuration (e.g., including resource allocation for SSBs, timing information, or an indication of beams associated with respective SSBs), reference signal configuration information, or PRACH resource configuration).
Regarding Claim 9, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more energy transfer resources are associated with a first set of frequency resources, and wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE (115) to:
receive control signaling indicating a second set of frequency resource associated with a second set of one or more energy transfer resources (Kwak, [0095]: Random access message 2 may include control signaling (e.g. include a RACH preamble response). the RACH preamble response may include an uplink grant to UE 115-a, a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), a resource block (RB) assignment (“2nd set of resources”)).
Regarding Claim 10, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to:
tune energy harvesting circuitry at the UE to the first set of frequency resources associated with the set of one or more energy transfer resources, wherein performing the energy harvesting is based at least in part on the tuning (Elkotby, [0106]: EH device can tune its components to harvest energy or keep trying to harvest energy from alternative signals that might probably be available/scheduled within the same fixed/dynamic narrowband); and
retune to the second set of one or more energy transfer resources according to the control signaling (Elkotby, [0106]: EH device can tune its components to harvest energy only during the defined schedule for dedicated EH signaling or keep trying to harvest energy from alternative signals that might probably be available/scheduled within the same fixed/dynamic narrowband).
Regarding Claim 13, Kwak teaches, An apparatus for wireless communications at a network entity (105) (Kwak, FIG.1, system 100, base stations 105, UE 115, [0044]: The wireless communications system 100 may include one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115), comprising:
at least one processor (1440); and
memory (1430) coupled to the at least one processor (1440), the memory storing instructions (1435) executable by the at least one processor to cause the network entity to (Kwak, FIG.14, memory 1430, processor 1440, [0202]: The memory 1430 may store computer-readable, computer-executable code 1435 including instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor 1440 to perform various function):
output a plurality of synchronization signal blocks over a plurality of respective transmission beams, each synchronization signal block corresponding to at least one respective (Kwak, FIG.4, beam 405, [0108-109]: A base station 105 may transmit SSBs over various beams 405. For instance, base station 105 may transmit SSB with an index SSB0 on beam 405-a, an SSB with an index SSB1 on beam 405-b, an SSB with an index SSB2 on beam 405-c, and an SSB with an index SSB3 on beam 405-d. A UE 115 may monitor SSB resources for the SSBs); and
output one or more (Kwak, [0109-110]: A UE 115 may monitor SSB resources for the SSBs. UE 115 may indicate a preferred beam to base station 105 by selecting a physical random access channel (PRACH) resource associated with the preferred beam. PRACH resources may be mapped to SSB indices (e.g., beams 405) at a one-to-one ratio For instance, PRACH resource 0 may be mapped to SSB0 (e.g., and corresponding beam 405-a), … etc. Thus, UE 115 may transmit a first random access message (e.g., message 1 in a four-step RACH procedure or message A in a two-step RACH procedure) on a PRACH resource that is mapped to the preferred beam).
Kwak does not expressly teaches
output one or more energy transfer signals on a set of one or more energy transfer resources, the set of one or more energy transfer resources
Elkotby teaches
(Elkotby, [0110-111]: energy harvesting (EH) signals are transmitted in a subset of resource blocks (RB)s within the RB range associated with an SSB and in slots occupied by the SSB, the SSB being transmitted on a specific beam); and
output one or more energy transfer signals on a set of one or more energy transfer resources, the set of one or more energy transfer resources (Elkotby, FIG.1, wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) 102, [0030]: Any of the WTRUs 102a, 102b, 102c and 102d may be interchangeably referred to as a UE. FIG.19, [0201]: a flowchart illustrates an example procedure of enabling EH signaling using a contention-based feedback. [0204]: the EH WTRU may monitor feedback information transmitted over preceding time resources within the configured contention-based transmission window).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to receive a set of SSBs over a set of respective transmission beams, each SSB corresponding to at least one respective resources, as taught by Kwak, to monitor a set of energy resources for one or more energy signal and perform energy harvesting using the energy signal, as taught by Elkotby.
Doing so provides a method to receive a set of SSBs over a set of respective transmission beams, each SSB corresponding to at least one respective resource, and to monitor a set of energy resources for one or more energy signal and perform energy harvesting using the energy signa, (Elkotby, [0110-111, 206]).
Regarding Claims 14-15 see similar rejection to Claims 2-3 respectively.
Regarding Claim 18, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each subset of a plurality of subsets of the set of one or more energy transfer resources is associated with a respective energy transfer charging rate (Elkotby, [0089]: the periodicity and duration of each of those transmissions may not be sufficient to guarantee a reasonable/meaningful level of energy transfer. For example, transferring 20% of current battery capacity of a WTRU over 30 minutes may be considered as a reasonable or meaningful level of energy transfer is 20 ms).
Regarding Claim 19, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each subset of a plurality of subsets of the set of one or more energy transfer resources is associated with a respective type of energy harvesting, a respective set of frequency resources, a respective periodicity, a respective UE power setting, or any combination thereof (Elkotby, [0089, 111]: An eNB may select the set of RBs for energy harvesting, configure the EH signal transmission schedule, and design the EH signal waveform. For example, the eNB can dedicate a total of 2 RBs in the range of 20 RBs associated with an SSB over a duration of a single slot that is repeated every 5 ms (e.g., 5 slots assuming 15 KHz subcarrier spacing (SCS)) for a total duration of 5 s where SSB transmission periodicity is 20 ms).
Regarding Claims 20-21 see similar rejection to Claims 8-9 respectively.
Regarding Claims 24-29, 30 see similar rejection to Claims 1-9, 13 respectively.
5.4. Claim(s) 4, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kwak et al., (“Kwak”, US 2022/0078852 A1) in view of Elkotby et al., ("Elkotby", US 2022/0225402 A1), and further in view of Kim et al.., (“Kim”, US 2023/0403635 A1).
Regarding Claim 4, Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE (102) to:
receive(Elkotby, [0110-111]: energy harvesting (EH) signals are transmitted in a subset of resource blocks (RB)s within the RB range associated with an SSB and in slots occupied by the SSB, the SSB being transmitted on a specific beam. Elkotby, [0206]: The EH WTRU may perform energy harvesting (e.g., transmit an EH signal) according to the received EH signal configuration).
Kwak-Elkotby does not expressly teach
Kim teaches
(Kim, FIG.5, Rx UE, [0095-97]: receiving UEs #2 and 4 may be UEs capable of receiving a channel state information-reference signal (CSI-RS) which is quasi co located (QCL) with the same SSB. The CSI-RS may be a reference signal transmitted to determine a channel state. The Rx UE may measure the CSI-RS to determine the channel state and then feed back the channel state information. The transmitting UE (Tx UE) may perform a groupcast to the Rx UEs #2 and 4 using the same SSB beam. It is beneficial to notify Rx UEs to refrain from reporting, the system saves precious device battery power and frees up network bandwidth by eliminating redundant feedback).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to transmit energy transfer signal associated with the SSB, as taught by Kwak-Elkotby, to notify refrain from transmitting a measurement report associated with the same SSB, as taught by Kim.
Doing so provides a method to transmit energy transfer signal associated with the SSB, and to notify refrain from transmitting a measurement report associated with the same SSB (Kim, FIG.5, [0095-97]).
Regarding Claim 16, see similar rejection to Claim 4.
5.5. Claim(s) 5-7, 12, 17, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kwak et al., (“Kwak”, US 2022/0078852 A1) in view of Elkotby et al., ("Elkotby", US 2022/0225402 A1), and further in view of Berggren et al., (“Berg”, US 2024/0429742 A1).
Regarding Claim 5, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to:
select a first subset of the set of one or more energy transfer resources based at least in part on an energy transfer type of the UE, (Elkotby, [0096]: EH device capability may include supporting one or more energy harvesting mechanisms. For example, the WTRU may perform configurable energy harvesting (e.g., being equipped with a EH device/component tunable to harvest energy (e.g., at a center frequency ƒc) over a maximum bandwidth B), or fixed energy harvesting (e.g., multiple (e.g., on/off switchable) EH devices/components each being tuned to a fixed center frequency ƒi)).
Kwak-Elkotby does not expressly teach
Berg teaches
(Berg, FIG.1, wireless device (WD) 300, network node 400, [0030]: The WD 300 may be an energy harvesting WD configured to use energy harvesting sources to harvest the energy required by the WD 300 for communicating with the network node 400 or a second WD 300A. [0061]: the WD 300 may transmit a set of parameters 902, such as an energy harvesting capability report indicative of one or more of a type of a harvesting resource, an energy harvesting capacity of a harvesting resource and an energy storage capacity available to the WD 300 to the network node 800).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select a set of energy transfer resources, as taught by Elkotby, to associate the energy transfer resources to the energy transfer type, as taught by Elkotby.
Doing so provides a method to select a set of energy transfer resources and to associate the energy transfer resources to the energy transfer type (Berg, [0061]).
Regarding Claim 6, Kwak-Elkotby-Berg teaches, The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets of the set of one or more energy transfer resources is associated with a respective energy transfer charging rate (Elkotby, [0089]: the periodicity and duration of each of those transmissions may not be sufficient to guarantee a reasonable/meaningful level of energy transfer. For example, transferring 20% of current battery capacity of a WTRU over 30 minutes may be considered as a reasonable or meaningful level of energy transfer is 20 ms).
Regarding Claim 7, Kwak-Elkotby-Berg teaches, The apparatus of claim 5, wherein each subset of the plurality of subsets of the set of one or more energy transfer resources is associated with a respective type of energy harvesting, a respective set of frequency resources, a respective periodicity, a respective UE power setting, or any combination thereof (Elkotby, [0089, 111]: An eNB may select the set of RBs for energy harvesting, configure the EH signal transmission schedule, and design the EH signal waveform. For example, the eNB can dedicate a total of 2 RBs in the range of 20 RBs associated with an SSB over a duration of a single slot that is repeated every 5 ms (e.g., 5 slots assuming 15 KHz subcarrier spacing (SCS)) for a total duration of 5 s where SSB transmission periodicity is 20 ms).
Regarding Claim 12, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to cause the UE to:
cancel the one or more energy transfer signals based at least in part on the one or more parameters (Elkotby, [0052]: WTRU 102 may include a full duplex radio for which transmission and reception of some or all of the signals may be concurrent and/or simultaneous. The full duplex radio may include an interference management unit 139 to reduce and or substantially eliminate self-interference via cancelling the transmission energy signals to charge certain devices); and
decode the data transmissions based at least in part on the canceling (Elkotby, [0052]: WTRU 102 may decode with higher throughput).
Kwak-Elkotby does not expressly teach
receive an indication of one or more parameters associated with the one or more energy transfer signals;
monitor for data transmissions during at least a portion of the set of one or more energy transfer resources.
Berg teaches
receive an indication of one or more parameters associated with the one or more energy transfer signals (Berg, FIG.1, wireless device (WD) 300, network node 400, [0030]: The WD 300 may be an energy harvesting WD configured to use energy harvesting sources to harvest the energy required by the WD 300 for communicating with the network node 400 or a second WD 300A. [0061]: receive a set of parameters, the parameters and/or thresholds may indicate a triggering event triggering an adjustment of the transmission configuration for different scenarios and for different energy harvesting techniques and/or energy harvesting resources available to the WD);
monitor for data transmissions during at least a portion of the set of one or more energy transfer resources (Berg, [0062]: The WD 300 may monitor its energy harvesting efficiency for its energy harvesting resources and/or its energy storage level).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to eliminate self-interference cause by sharing the energy transfer resources, as taught by Elkotby, to receive and monitor energy transfer signals, as taught by Berg.
Doing so provides a method to eliminate self-interference cause by sharing the energy transfer resources via cancelling the energy transfer (Berg, [0061-62]).
Regarding Claims 17, 23 see similar rejection to Claims 5, 12 respectively.
5.6. Claim(s) 11, 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kwak et al., (“Kwak”, US 2022/0078852 A1) in view of Elkotby et al., ("Elkotby", US 2022/0225402 A1), and further in view of Li et al., (“Li”, US 2014/0011543 A1).
Regarding Claim 11, Kwak-Elkotby teaches, The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processor (1040) to cause the UE (115) to:
receive an indication of a second set of one or more (Kwak, [0095]: Random access message 2 may include control signaling (e.g. include a RACH preamble response). the RACH preamble response may include an uplink grant to UE 115-a, a temporary cell radio network temporary identifier (TC-RNTI), a resource block (RB) assignment (“2nd set resource”)),
monitor for one or more additional (Kwak, [0108]: A UE 115 may monitor SSB resources for the SSBs. The UE 115 receives SSBs transmits over various beams 405 by a base station 105. For instance, base station 105 may transmit SSB with an index SSB0 on beam 405-a, an SSB with an index SSB1 on beam 405-b, an SSB with an index SSB2 on beam 405-c, and an SSB with an index SSB 3 on beam 405-d).
Kwak does not expressly teach
receive
monitor
perform energy harvesting using the one or more additional energy transfer signals.
Elkotby teaches
receive (Elkotby, [0110-111]: energy harvesting (EH) signals are transmitted in a subset of resource blocks (RB)s within the RB range associated with an SSB and in slots occupied by the SSB, the SSB being transmitted on a specific beam);
monitor(Elkotby, FIG.19, [0201]: enabling EH signaling using a contention-based feedback. [0204]: the EH WTRU may monitor feedback information transmitted over preceding time resources within the configured contention-based transmission window); and
perform energy harvesting using the one or more additional energy transfer signals (Elkotby, [0206]: The EH WTRU 102 may perform energy harvesting (e.g., transmit an EH signal) according to the received EH signal configuration).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to receive a second set of SSB over a set of respective transmission beams, as taught by Kwak, to perform energy harvesting using the energy signal, as taught by Elkotby.
Doing so provides a method to receive a set of SSB over a set of respective transmission beams, each SSB corresponding to at least one respective resource, and to monitor a set of energy resources for one or more energy signal and perform energy harvesting using the energy signal, (Elkotby, [0110-111, 206]).
Kwak-Elkotby does not expressly teach
Li teaches
wherein the second set of transmission beams are more narrow than the first set of transmission beams (Li, FIG.19, [0165]: A beam (b) 1930 has an adaptive beam width. For some mobile stations (for example, a mobile station with low speed), a narrower beam can be used. Therefore, the system switches to the second set of resources using narrower, more precise beams to maximize the efficiency of the energy transfer).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to receive a second set of energy transfer resources over a set of respective transmission beams, as taught by Kwak-Elkotby, to transmit using narrower beam, as taught by Li.
Doing so provides a method to receive a second set of energy transfer resources over a set of respective transmission beams, and the transmission beams are narrower to maximize the efficiency of the energy transfer (Li, [0165]).
Regarding Claim 22 see similar rejection to Claim 11.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Balasubramanian et al., US 2022/0248432 A1, Method For Using Wireless Transmit/receive Unit (WTRU) For Harvesting Energy From Uplink Signal Of Other WTRU, Involves Harvesting Radio Frequency Energy From Uplink Transmissions Of Groups Of Other WTRUs Using Selected Receive Beam.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHHIAN (AMY) LING whose telephone number is (571)270-1074. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6 ET.
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, MOO JEONG can be reached at (571)272-9617. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.L./
Examiner
Art Unit 2418
/MICHAEL A KELLER/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2418
Prosecution Insights