Prior art — US Patent 11116035

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 11116035, I need to consult the patent's own citations. The Google Patents link provided in the prompt is the authoritative source for this information. I will extract the "Prior art references" section directly from that page.

Here's the approach:

Retrieve Patent 11116035 Citations: I will access the provided Google Patents link for US11116035B2 and navigate to its "Prior art references" section.
Extract and Format Information: For each listed patent citation, I will extract:
- Full citation (patent number, inventor(s), assignee)
- Publication/filing date (whichever is earlier and relevant for prior art assessment)
- Brief description (from the abstract or main claims if readily available, or a general description based on the title if not).
- Identify which claim(s) of US11116035 it potentially anticipates under 35 U.S.C. § 102. This will involve a high-level comparison to the independent claims (Claim 1, Claim 7, and Claim 13) provided in the patent summary. Due to the complexity of a full anticipation analysis, this will be an assessment of potential relevance rather than a definitive legal conclusion. Prior art anticipates a claim if it discloses every element of that claim, either explicitly or inherently.

Here are the prior art references for US Patent 11116035, along with their details and a high-level assessment of potential anticipation:

Cited Patent References:

US20160066224A1
- Inventors: Eapen, et al.
- Assignee: Qualcomm Incorporated
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication: March 3, 2016. Filing: August 28, 2015.
- Brief Description: This patent application describes methods and apparatus for multi-user (MU) uplink (UL) scheduling and channel access in wireless communication systems, particularly in the context of Wi-Fi (802.11ax). It discusses mechanisms for an Access Point (AP) to trigger UL MU transmissions from multiple stations (STAs) and how STAs contend for UL resources. It also mentions adjusting contention parameters like EDCA parameters (CWmin, CWmax, AIFS) for UL MU transmissions.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1 (Method Claim): This reference appears highly relevant to Claim 1, as it describes a method involving an AP triggering UL MU transmission and STAs adjusting channel access parameters. The concept of switching parameter sets (e.g., EDCA parameters) based on UL MU scheduling is present.
  - Claim 7 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Switching): The description of STAs (wireless communication terminals) adjusting their channel access parameters in response to an AP trigger for UL MU transmission directly aligns with the functionality described in Claim 7.
  - Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Backoff Timer Operation): While it discusses EDCA and contention windows, a specific mechanism for maintaining a backoff timer at zero when a queue is empty is not immediately apparent from a brief description. Further detailed analysis of the full text would be required to determine if this specific aspect is anticipated.
US20160094951A1
- Inventors: Kim, et al.
- Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication: March 31, 2016. Filing: September 29, 2015.
- Brief Description: This patent application discloses methods and apparatus for wireless communication in a WLAN system, focusing on uplink multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (UL MU-MIMO) transmissions. It addresses how a STA can transmit an uplink frame in response to a trigger frame from an AP, and how contention parameters might be managed for such transmissions.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1 (Method Claim): Similar to US20160066224A1, this reference describes the core concept of a base station triggering multi-user uplink transmissions and a terminal responding. The management of channel access for such transmissions is central.
  - Claim 7 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Switching): The terminal's capability to participate in UL MU-MIMO based on an AP trigger, and implicitly to adjust its transmission behavior, is relevant to Claim 7.
  - Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Backoff Timer Operation): Similar to the previous reference, the specific details of the backoff timer operation when a queue is empty and the timer is zero would require a deeper dive into the patent's full text.
US9526011B2
- Inventors: Park, et al.
- Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
- Publication/Filing Date: Issue: December 20, 2016. Filing: June 30, 2015.
- Brief Description: This patent details methods and devices for transmitting uplink data in a wireless LAN system, particularly in the context of OFDMA-based multi-user uplink transmissions. It covers procedures for receiving trigger frames, preparing uplink data, and transmitting it, potentially involving adjustments to contention parameters.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1 (Method Claim): This patent addresses the fundamental elements of receiving a trigger for UL MU transmission and performing channel access for data transmission, aligning with Claim 1.
  - Claim 7 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Switching): The terminal's role in responding to trigger frames and preparing for UL OFDMA transmission relates to the switching mechanism for channel access parameters in Claim 7.
  - Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Backoff Timer Operation): Again, while EDCA and backoff are general concepts in WLAN, the precise operation of the backoff timer when a queue is empty and the timer is zero would need to be specifically disclosed to anticipate Claim 13.
US20160073233A1
- Inventors: Choi, et al.
- Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
- Publication/Filing Date: Publication: March 10, 2016. Filing: September 4, 2015.
- Brief Description: This patent application focuses on methods and devices for transmitting frames in a wireless LAN system, including scheduling uplink multi-user transmissions and the role of trigger frames. It discusses how a STA processes scheduling information and transmits data accordingly, which may involve adapting channel access.
- Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102):
  - Claim 1 (Method Claim): The concepts of a base station scheduling and triggering UL MU transmissions, and a terminal accessing the channel for transmission, are directly relevant.
  - Claim 7 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Switching): The terminal's ability to respond to UL MU scheduling and transmit data in that context aligns with the functional aspects of Claim 7.
  - Claim 13 (Apparatus Claim - Terminal with Backoff Timer Operation): The particular behavior of the backoff timer when a queue is empty and the timer is zero is a specific detail that would require close examination of the full disclosure.

Summary of Relevance:

The cited prior art, particularly US20160066224A1, US20160094951A1, US9526011B2, and US20160073233A1, appears highly relevant to the core concepts of US11116035, especially regarding the method (Claim 1) and apparatus with switching functionality (Claim 7) for multi-user uplink transmissions using enhanced distributed channel access. These references generally describe the environment, the triggering of UL MU, and the adaptation of EDCA parameters.

The most distinctive aspect of US11116035, as highlighted in Claim 13 (maintaining the backoff timer at zero when a queue is empty and the timer is zero, performing no operation), would require a very specific disclosure in the prior art to be anticipated under 35 U.S.C. § 102. General discussions of EDCA and backoff procedures alone might not be sufficient to anticipate this precise operational detail. A thorough anticipation analysis would necessitate a detailed review of the full text of each cited prior art patent.