US 11116035

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 11116035:

• Title: Wireless communication method using enhanced distributed channel access, and wireless communication terminal using same
• Current Assignee: Wilus Institute of Standards and Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Woojin AHN, Juhyung Son, Geonjung KO, Jinsam Kwak
• Filing Date: March 6, 2019
• Issue Date: September 7, 2021
• Abstract: The patent describes a wireless communication method and terminal utilizing enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA). The method involves accessing a channel based on data priority and transmitting data. Key to this is switching a channel access parameter set from a first set to a second set when a base wireless communication terminal triggers multi-user uplink (UL-MU) transmission participation from the wireless terminal. The channel is then accessed using the second parameter set, also based on traffic priority.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Claim 1 (Method Claim): This claim describes a wireless communication method for a wireless terminal interacting with a base station. The method involves two main steps: accessing a channel based on the priority of data to be transmitted, and then transmitting that data. The crucial part of the channel access is that the set of parameters used for access (e.g., contention window size, arbitration interframe space) is switched from a standard ("first") set to an enhanced ("second") set if the base station requests the terminal to participate in a multi-user uplink transmission. The channel is then accessed using these enhanced parameters, still prioritizing traffic.

• Claim 7 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Switching): This claim focuses on a wireless communication terminal itself. It includes a transceiver and a processor. The processor is configured to perform the channel access and data transmission as in Claim 1. Specifically, the processor is designed to switch the channel access parameter set (from a first to a second set) based on whether the base station triggers the terminal's participation in a multi-user uplink transmission.

• Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Backoff Timer Operation): This claim also describes a wireless communication terminal with a transceiver and a processor. The processor is configured to access a channel based on data priority and to manage multiple queues, each corresponding to an access category. For each queue, it performs a backoff procedure, where a backoff timer is set based on a random value within a contention window and decreases when the channel is idle. A key aspect of this claim is that if there's no data in a queue and its backoff timer reaches zero, the terminal's processor performs no operation at that slot boundary, maintaining the backoff timer at zero.

USPTO and CAFC Docket Search:

The USPTO website provides a "Patent Center" to check the status of patent applications and review file history. However, direct searching by patent number to check current status for granted patents on the USPTO site is typically done through their patent search databases, not "status" pages for applications. The provided patent text from Google Patents already indicates the patent is "Active" and gives an "Anticipated expiration" date of 2037-09-07. This means it is an issued and active patent.

Regarding CAFC 2026 dockets, a search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) scheduled cases for April, May, and June 2026 did not show any direct listings for patent 11116035. The CAFC website provides access to case information and records, but a specific search for this patent number within the provided snippets for 2026 dockets did not yield results. However, the Google Patents information does indicate family litigation, including an active PTAB case (IPR2025-01043) and US cases filed in the Texas Eastern District Court (2:24-cv-00765 and 2:24-cv-00764). While these are not CAFC dockets specifically, they indicate ongoing legal challenges related to the patent family. Therefore, while the patent is active, it is involved in litigation.