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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10, 13, 15-16, 18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kang et al. (US 2018/0288702).
As per claim 1, Kang discloses an apparatus at a network node, comprising: a memory comprising instructions; and one or more processors, individually or collectively, configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to (see paragraph 25, figure 1b, memory, cpu): determine at least one subsystem associated with the network node is in an idle state(paragraph 41, no packets during a time period, doze mode); and transition the network node from an active mode into a low power mode, based on the determination (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state).
As per claim 2, Kang discloses wherein the network node is a gateway device or a router device (see paragraph 22).
As per claim 3, Kang discloses wherein the at least one subsystem is a networking subsystem (NSS), and wherein the NSS comprises one or more ethernet devices and one or more software programs operating or controlling the one or more ethernet devices (paragraph 22).
As per claim 4, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: calculate a network traffic rate of at least one of the one or more ethernet devices for a threshold time period; determine the network traffic rate is less than a threshold traffic rate; and determine the NSS is in the idle state, based on the network traffic rate is less than the threshold traffic rate (paragraph 41, 43, TAP/Periodicity, figure 2f).
As per claim 5, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: calculate an average utilization rate of a central processing unit (CPU) associated with the network node for a threshold time period; determine the average utilization rate is less than a threshold utilization rate; and determine the NSS is in the idle state based on the average utilization rate is less than the threshold utilization rate (table c, power saving mechanism using current consumption, figure 2f).
As per claim 6, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: detect a change in a link state of at least one of the one or more ethernet devices within a threshold time period; and determine the NSS is in the idle state based on the detected change in the link state of the at least one of the one or more ethernet devices within the threshold time period (paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f).
As per claim 7, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: calculate a quantity of connection tracks (CTs) in the NSS; determine the quantity of CTs is less than a threshold number (figure 2f); and determine the NSS is in the idle state based on the quantity of CTs is less than the threshold number (figure 2f).
As per claim 8, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: calculate a first quantity of connection tracks (CTs) for ongoing data traffic flows from one or more connected clients of the network node within a first time period; determine the first quantity of CTs is less than or equal to a second quantity of CTs for data traffic flows from the one or more connected clients within a second time period, wherein the first time period is after the second time period (paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f); and determine the NSS is in the idle state based on the first quantity of CTs is less than or equal to the second quantity of CTs (paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f).
As per claim 10, Kang discloses wherein the at least one subsystem is a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) subsystem, and wherein the WI-FI subsystem comprises one or more WI-FI access point devices and one or more software programs operating or controlling the one or more WI-FI access point devices (see paragraph 22).
As per claim 13, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: calculate a data traffic rate at an interface associated with at least one of the one or more WI-FI access point devices for a threshold time period; determine the data traffic rate is less than a threshold traffic rate; and determine the WI-FI subsystem is in the idle state based on the data traffic rate is less than the threshold traffic rate (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state, paragraph 65, 802.11, paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f).
As per claim 15, Kang discloses method at a network node, comprising: determining at least one subsystem associated with the network node is in an idle state (paragraph 41, no packets during a time period, doze mode); and transitioning the network node from an active mode into a low power mode, based on the determination (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state).
As per claim 16, Kang discloses wherein the at least one subsystem is a networking subsystem (NSS), and wherein the NSS comprises one or more ethernet devices and one or more software programs operating or controlling the one or more ethernet devices (see paragraph 22).
As per claim 18, Kang discloses wherein the at least one subsystem is a wireless fidelity (WI-FI) subsystem, and wherein the WI-FI subsystem comprises one or more WI-FI access point devices and one or more software programs operating or controlling the one or more WI-FI access point devices (see paragraph 22).
As per claim 20, Kang discloses apparatus at a network node, comprising: means for determining at least one subsystem associated with the network node is in an idle state (paragraph 41, no packets during a time period, doze mode); and means for transitioning the network node from an active mode into a low power mode, based on the determination (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state).
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) 11 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kang et al. (US 2018/0288702.
As per claim 11, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: determine traffic characteristics in the WI-FI subsystem during a threshold time period; and determine the WI-FI subsystem is in the idle state based on the traffic characteristics in the WI-FI subsystem during the threshold time period (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state, paragraph 65, 802.11, paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f).
Kang does teach detection of traffic characteristics and when nothing is detected it implies an absence, Kang does not explicitly disclose the use of determining an absence of a new virtual access point (VAP) in the WI-FI subsystem during a threshold time period; and determine the WI-FI subsystem is in the idle state based on the absence of the new VAP in the WI-FI subsystem during the threshold time period. However this is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Official Notice is taken that both the concept and the advantages detecting absence of access point or absence of traffic related to different devices then determining idle states are well known and expected in the art. This can be made to achieve power savings features for optimal performance in communications devices and networks.
As per claim 12, Kang discloses wherein the one or more processors, individually or collectively, are configured to execute the instructions and cause the apparatus to: determine traffic characteristics in the WI-FI subsystem during a threshold time period; and determine the WI-FI subsystem is in the idle state based on the traffic characteristics in the WI-FI subsystem during the threshold time period (see figure 1A, paragraph 3 and 22, active mode to power saving mode enabling a doze state, paragraph 65, 802.11, paragraphs 51-52, PM1, PM2 based on density, periodicity, figure 2c, 2f).
Kang does teach detection of traffic characteristics and when nothing is detected it implies an absence, Kang does not explicitly disclose the use of determining an absence of a new wireless local area network (WLAN) device connection in the WI-FI subsystem during a threshold time period; and determine the WI-FI subsystem is in the idle state based on the absence of the new WLAN device connection in the WI-FI subsystem during the threshold time period. However this is well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Official Notice is taken that both the concept and the advantages detecting absence of a new wireless local area network (WLAN) device connection or absence of traffic related to different devices, then determining idle states are well known and expected in the art. This can be made to achieve power savings features for optimal performance in communications devices and networks.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9, 14, 17, and 19 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.
Conclusion
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/ABDULLAH A RIYAMI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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