DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 4/10/2026 has been added. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claims 8-14 are objected to because of the following informalities: Regarding claim 8, “the second device” in lines 15-16 should be changed to “the first device” for clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-5, 8-12 and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2017/0290093 (hereinafter Adachi) in view of US 2017/0265121 (hereinafter Barberis) and US 2011/0069650 (hereinafter Singh).
Regarding claims 1, 8 and 15, Adachi teaches a frame transmission method implemented by a first device in a multiband communication system, generating in response to the request frame, a first frame carrying indication information, wherein the indication information indicates the radio operation parameters of the first frequency band ([0068]: details using the channel ch.1, the wireless communication base station 101 notifies the wireless communication terminal 201 of the information about the frequency channel ch.2); and sending, to the second device in the second frequency band, the first frame ([0068]: details a large indefinite number of wireless communication terminals (including surrounding wireless communication base stations) are notified).
Adachi does not explicitly teach receiving, from a second device in a second frequency band, a request frame instructing to obtain radio operation parameters of a radio resource of a first frequency band, wherein the radio operation parameters are channels associated with the radio resource, and wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are of different frequencies; a target wakeup time (TWT) parameter, wherein the TWT parameter determines a TWT wakeup time period in which the first device and the second device are to remain in an active state in the first frequency band; communicating with the second device in the first frequency band during the TWT wakeup time period and simultaneous communication with the second device in the second frequency band.
However, Barberis teaches receiving, from a second device in a second frequency band, a request frame instructing to obtain radio operation parameters of a radio resource of a first frequency band, wherein the radio operation parameters are channels associated with the radio resource, and wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are of different frequencies ([0090]: details The frequency bands FB are ordered according to an ordered sequence from the most desirable frequency band FB to the least preferable one based on request parameters indicative of the type of request and/or based on user parameters indicative of the category of user which made the request and/or based on user equipment parameters indicative of the category of the user equipment used by the user to make the request. To obtain the above mentioned ranking a set of criteria may be applied. The analysis could be guided by specific Network operator policies regarding the general usage of the different available frequency bands FB).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Adachi to incorporate the teachings of Barberis and include receiving, from a second device in a second frequency band, a request frame instructing to obtain radio operation parameters of a radio resource of a first frequency band, wherein the radio operation parameters are channels associated with the radio resource, and wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are of different frequencies of Barberis with Adachi. Doing so would increase the overall capacity of the cellular network (Barberis, at [0014]).
Moreover, Singh teaches a target wakeup time (TWT) parameter, wherein the TWT parameter determines a TWT wakeup time period in which the first device and the second device are to remain in an active state in the first frequency band (FIG. 6; [0077]-[0081]; wake-up schedule information element 601 can include information on the wake-up schedules of the unassociated band of the multi-band station itself or an access point with which the multi-band station is associated) communicating with the second device in the first frequency band during the TWT wakeup time period (FIG. 6; [0077]-[0081]; wake-up schedule information element 601 can include information on the wake-up schedules of the unassociated band of the multi-band station itself or an access point with which the multi-band station is associated) and simultaneous communication with the second device in the second frequency band (FIG. 6; [0006]; a wireless station can use either or both of the channels, depending on the needs).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Adachi to incorporate the teachings of Singh and include a target wakeup time (TWT) parameter, wherein the TWT parameter determines a TWT wakeup time period in which the first device and the second device are to remain in an active state in the first frequency band; communicating with the second device in the first frequency band during the TWT wakeup time period and simultaneous communication with the second device in the second frequency band of Singh with Adachi. Doing so would save power (Singh, at [0107]).
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 16, Adachi teaches wherein the indication information comprises indexes of the radio operation parameters ([0077][0078]: details frequency bandwidth level and a subset of frequency channels allocated in the frequency bandwidth, as indexes of radio operation parameters).
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 17, Adachi teaches wherein the indexes are in an operating class field of the first frame (FIG. 38: details supportable channels, as operating class field).
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 18, Adachi teaches wherein the indication information comprises a channel starting frequency of the first frequency band and a channel index of the first frequency band (FIG. 10; [0082]: details center frequency, channel band extended direction, channel bandwidth and channel identifier).
Regarding claims 5, 12 and 19, Adachi teaches wherein the indication information further comprises a band identifier of the first frequency band carried in a band identifier field in the first frame ([0076]-[0080]: details communication standard system is inserted as the information on the communication system; name of the subset of frequencies; channel identifier).
Claims 6, 7, 13, 14 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi in view of Barberis and Singh, further in view of US 2015/0223182 (hereinafter Kim).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 20, Adachi does not explicitly teach wherein the first frame comprises a beacon, an explorer frame, and a response frame.
However, Kim teaches wherein the first frame comprises a beacon, an explorer frame, and a response frame (FIG. 5: details beacon/probe response frame (enabling signal element), as explorer, response, beacon frame).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Adachi to incorporate the teachings of Kim and include wherein the first frame comprises a beacon, an explorer frame, and a response frame of Kim with Adachi. Doing so would reduce interference (Kim, at [0090]).
Regarding claims 7 and 14, Adachi does not explicitly teach wherein the first frame is the response frame.
However, Kim teaches wherein the first frame is the response frame (FIG. 5: details probe response frame).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Adachi to incorporate the teachings of Kim and include wherein the first frame is the response frame of Kim with Adachi. Doing so would reduce interference (Kim, at [0090]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jasper Kwoh whose telephone number is (408)918-7644. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesday through Friday, 10am to 4pm Pacific.
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, Jeffrey Rutkowski can be reached at (571) 270-1215. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JASPER KWOH/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2415