DETAILED ACTION
Applicant’s amendment and response filed December 9, 2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 8, 11, 14, 24, and 28 have been amended.
Claims 5-7, 12-13, 15-22, 25-26, 29, and 31-32 are cancelled.
Claims 33-35 have been newly added.
Claims 1-4, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30, and 33-35 are currently pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on December 9, 2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a), the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned at the time any inventions covered therein were made absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and invention dates of each claim that was not commonly owned at the time a later invention was made in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(c) and potential pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102(e), (f) or (g) prior art under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a).
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 1-4, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, and 30 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Gong et al. (hereinafter Gong) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2011/0158159 A1) in view of Sridhara et al. (hereinafter Sridhara) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2010/0202347 A1), and further in view of KIM et al. (hereinafter Kim2) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2013/0301605 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Gong teaches and discloses a method and station (STA) (STAs, figures 1, 2, and 4-5) comprising a processor (inherent component of the STA; figures 1-2); and a transceiver (202, figure 2),
the processor and the transceiver configured for simultaneous multiple frame transmission/reception among a plurality of non-access point (non-AP) STAs, according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard basic service set (BSS) (figure 1; [0024]; teaches the STA is a non-AP device in a BSS),
wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive a contention-free-poll (CF-Poll) trigger frame (CF-Poll frame; figures 4-5), from an access point (AP) (access point, AP, figures 1 and 4-5), to transmit an uplink (UL) response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on a channel simultaneously with at least one other STA ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5), wherein the trigger frame includes an indication of association IDs (AIDs) of STAs triggered by the trigger frame ([0025]; “…the group polling frame may include STA Association identifiers (AIDs) each of which may identify one of STAs belonging to one of the STA groups…The group polling frame may be referred to as CF-Group Poll frame…”; [0034]; “…AP 102 may transmit a CF-Poll frame with a multicast address that identifies SDMA Group…”; teaches the CF-Pool frame (trigger frame) includes AIDS identifying the one or more STAs); and
wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit the UL response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on the channel, simultaneously with a transmission from at least one other STA, an interframe space (interframes space, SIFS) after the trigger frame using the determined sequence ([0029]; “…STAs 106a and 106b may commence to transmit CF-ACK frames to AP 102 a SIFS after the receipt of the CF-Group Poll frame…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other…”; teaches the STA transmits the uplink CF-ACK frames an interframes space, SIFS, after the receipt of the CF-Poll frame and the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially).
However, Gong does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit the UL feedback response on the channel, simultaneously with a transmission from at least one other STAs in an orthogonal manner (although Gong does teach the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted simultaneously using UL SDMA; [0034]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sridhara teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit the UL feedback response (ACK) on the channel, simultaneously with a transmission from at least one other STAs in an orthogonal manner ([0059]; “…On the uplink, it is expected that all receiving stations (i.e., access terminals) that received the transmission successfully shall send an ACK back to the original transmitting station (i.e., the access point). In such cases, it is highly efficient to use a multiple access method such as SDMA or OFDMA to schedule these ACKs to be sent simultaneously…”; [0065]; teaches the receiving stations transmit feedback response on the uplink, such as an ACK, simultaneously in an orthogonal manner, such as OFDMA).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the receiving stations transmit feedback response on the uplink, such as an ACK, simultaneously in an orthogonal manner, such as OFDMA as taught by Sridhara with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong for the purpose of efficiently transmitting feedback responses on the uplink, as suggested by Sridhara.
However, Gong, as modified by Sridhara, does not explicitly disclose transmit the UL response on the channel, simultaneously with a transmission from at least one other STA, using an assigned orthogonal sequence associated with the indicated AID of the STA (although Gong does teach the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially; [0029]; [0033]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 teaches and suggests transmit the UL response (sequential response message or ACKs) on the channel, simultaneously with a transmission from at least one other STA, using an assigned orthogonal sequence associated with the indicated AID of the STA (association identification, AID) ([0086]; [0121]; “…the response messages or ACKs…transmitted by the Group 1 of wireless client devices…respectively, in at least one of a sequence of time slots…”; [0127]; “…a sequential/parallel sequence transmission by a wireless client device or station (STA) in the same or different time slots…the association ID (AID) of a station (STA) is used to indicate when the STA should transmit its acknowledgement (ACK), whether to use sequential or parallel transmission…”; [0134]; “…allows multiple STAs to transmit ACKs in sub-bands…multiple 2 MHz sub-bands are orthogonally allocated to STAs and STAs transmit ACKs…4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz are divided into multiple orthogonal 2 MHz sub-bands…”; teaches the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point as taught by Kim2 with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara, for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing collision, as suggested by Kim2.
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, further teaches and discloses wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit a management frame (CF-ACK frame) including an information element that indicates that the STA has capability for simultaneous multiple frame transmission and reception ([0029]; teaches the STA transmits a CF frame to indicate that the STA is capable for simultaneous transmission/reception).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose an information element that indicates that the STA has capability for transmission and reception for UL PS-Poll.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests an information element (TIM) that indicates that the STA has capability for transmission and reception for UL PS-Poll (figure 1D; [0100]; teaches the STA transmits an UL feedback response, such as an uplink PS-Poll frame, after receiving the beacon frame from the AP).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the STA transmits an UL feedback response, such as an uplink PS-Poll frame, after receiving the beacon frame from the AP using a preamble as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.
Regarding claims 4 and 11, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive buffered data from an access point (AP) on a condition that the processor and the transceiver transmitted the UL feedback response.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive buffered data from an access point (AP) on a condition that the processor and the transceiver transmitted the UL feedback response ([0099]; [0100]; “…A Traffic Indication Map (TIM) is a field transmitted in beacon frames, used to inform associated wireless client devices that the access point has buffered data waiting to be transmitted to them….”; teaches the AP transmits buffered data to the STA after receiving the ACK/response).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the AP transmits buffered data to the STA after receiving the ACK/response as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.
Regarding claim 14, Gong teaches and discloses an access point (AP) (access point, AP, figures 1 and 4-5) comprising: a processor (inherent component of the AP); and a transceiver (inherent component of the AP), the processor and the transceiver configured for simultaneous multiple frame transmission/reception among a plurality of non-access point (non-AP) STAs, according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard basic service set (BSS) (figure 1; [0024]; teaches the STA is a non-AP device in a BSS),
wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to transmit a trigger frame (CF-Poll frame; figures 4-5) triggering each of a plurality of STAs (STAs, figures 1, 2, and 4-5) to transmit an uplink (UL) feedback response (uplink ACK frame; figures 4-5) on a channel simultaneously with at least one other one of the plurality of STAs ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5), the trigger frame including an indication of association IDs (AIDs) of the plurality of STAs triggered by the trigger frame ([0025]; “…the group polling frame may include STA Association identifiers (AIDs) each of which may identify one of STAs belonging to one of the STA groups…The group polling frame may be referred to as CF-Group Poll frame…”; [0034]; “…AP 102 may transmit a CF-Poll frame with a multicast address that identifies SDMA Group…”; teaches the CF-Pool frame (trigger frame) includes AIDS identifying the one or more STAs), wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to receive a response frame from at least two of the plurality of STAs ([0020]; “…Each STA…may transmit the acknowledgement frame simultaneously with other STAs…using uplink SDMA mechanism…”; [0034]; “…In response to the CF-Poll frame, STAs 106a and 106b may transmit A-MPDU+CF-ACK frames simultaneously with each other using UL SDMA…”; teaches the AP receives uplink acknowledgement frames on a channel simultaneously with other STAs; figures 4-5).
However, Gong does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to trigger each of a plurality of STAs to transmit an UL feedback response on the channel simultaneously with at least one of the plurality of STAs in an orthogonal manner (although Gong does teach the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted simultaneously using UL SDMA; [0034]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Sridhara teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to trigger each of a plurality of STAs to transmit an UL feedback response (ACK) on the channel simultaneously with at least one of the plurality of STAs in an orthogonal manner ([0059]; “…On the uplink, it is expected that all receiving stations (i.e., access terminals) that received the transmission successfully shall send an ACK back to the original transmitting station (i.e., the access point). In such cases, it is highly efficient to use a multiple access method such as SDMA or OFDMA to schedule these ACKs to be sent simultaneously…”; [0065]; teaches the receiving stations transmit feedback response on the uplink, such as an ACK, simultaneously in an orthogonal manner, such as OFDMA).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the receiving stations transmit feedback response on the uplink, such as an ACK, simultaneously in an orthogonal manner, such as OFDMA as taught by Sridhara with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong for the purpose of efficiently transmitting feedback responses on the uplink, as suggested by Sridhara.
However, Gong, as modified by Sridhara, does not explicitly disclose wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine an AID corresponding to each response based on an associated orthogonal sequence (although Gong does teach the CF-ACK frames may be transmitted sequentially; [0029]; [0033]).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 teaches and suggests wherein the processor and the transceiver are further configured to determine an AID (association identification, AID) corresponding to each response (sequential response message or ACKs) based on an associated orthogonal sequence ([0086]; [0121]; “…the response messages or ACKs…transmitted by the Group 1 of wireless client devices…respectively, in at least one of a sequence of time slots…”; [0127]; “…a sequential/parallel sequence transmission by a wireless client device or station (STA) in the same or different time slots…the association ID (AID) of a station (STA) is used to indicate when the STA should transmit its acknowledgement (ACK), whether to use sequential or parallel transmission…”; [0134]; “…allows multiple STAs to transmit ACKs in sub-bands…multiple 2 MHz sub-bands are orthogonally allocated to STAs and STAs transmit ACKs…4 MHz, 8 MHz, and 16 MHz are divided into multiple orthogonal 2 MHz sub-bands…”; teaches the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the orthogonal sequence or sequential transmission of a response message/ACK as a function of the association ID of the wireless client device, where the sequence and association is known by the wireless access point as taught by Kim2 with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara, for the purpose of avoiding or minimizing collision, as suggested by Kim2.
Regarding claims 23, 27, and 30, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the trigger frame includes a single bit to indicate that a type of feedback response requested in response to the trigger frame is a power save poll (PS-Poll).
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Kim2 further teaches and suggests wherein the trigger frame (CF poll message) includes a single bit to indicate that a type of feedback response (response message) requested in response to the trigger frame is a power save poll (PS-Poll) ([0100]; “…To retrieve the buffered data, the wireless client device may use a power-save poll (PS-Poll) frame. After transmitting the PS-Poll frame, the client mobile station may stay awake until it receives the buffered data or until the bit for its association identifier (AID) in the Traffic Indication Map (TIM) is no longer set to "1"…”; teaches the STA receives the CF poll message indicating to respond with an uplink PS-Poll frame).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate the STA receives the CF poll message indicating to respond with an uplink PS-Poll frame as taught by Kim2 with the method and device as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, for the purpose of providing efficient polling of terminal devices in the network and controlling power consumption of the station, as suggested by Kim2.
Regarding claims 24 and 28, Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, further teaches and discloses wherein the response frame includes a single bit indicating that the STA has buffered UL data and whether the buffered UL data exceeds a threshold ([0020]; [0025]; [0029]; teaches the AP receives from the STAs indication in the uplink CF-ACK that the STAs have buffered data for transmission and exceeds a threshold and then transmitting data in the UL).
Claims 33, 34, and 35 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Gong et al. (hereinafter Gong) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2011/0158159 A1) in view of Sridhara et al. (hereinafter Sridhara) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2010/0202347 A1) and KIM et al. (hereinafter Kim2) (U.S. Patent Application Publication # 2013/0301605 A1), and further in view of Liu et al. (hereinafter Liu) (U.S. Patent # 8,886,755 B1).
Regarding claims 33, 34, and 35, Gong teaches in response to a received CF-poll frame transmitting an uplink acknowledgement frame on a channel simultaneously with other STAs, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the UL response is a frame that has a data length of zero to indicate to the AP that the STA has packets for transmission.
Nonetheless, in the same field of endeavor, Liu teaches and suggests wherein the UL response (communication frame) is a frame that has a data length of zero to indicate to the AP that the STA has packets for transmission (column 5, lines 66-67; column 6, lines 1-4 and 20-23; “…In response to each polling communication frame 154, a respective client station transmits a communication frame 158 to the AP during the TXOP of the AP, where the communication frame 158 (referred to herein as a feedback frame or FB frame) includes information indicating whether the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP…the indication of the amount of data in the queue is field in a MAC header of the FB frame 158. In an embodiment, the indication of the amount of data in the queue is subfield in a QoS field of the MAC header…”; teaches in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to incorporate in response to the polling frame, the client station transmits a communication frame/feedback indicating that the client station has data to be transmitted to the AP, where the communication frame has a data length of zero as the communication frame itself does not contain data as taught by Liu with the method and device for transmitting ACKs after a CF-Poll trigger frame as disclosed by Gong, as modified by Sridhara and Kim2, for the purpose of configuring simultaneous transmission by multiple client stations, as suggested by Liu.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-4, 8-11, 14, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30, and 33-35 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection as necessitated by Applicant’s amendment.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure.
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/Suk Jin Kang/
Examiner, Art Unit 2477
February 21, 2026