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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s IDS’ filed on 12/22/2025 has been entered. No Claims have been in this amended. No Claims have been canceled in this amendment. No New Claims have been added in this amendment. Claims 1,3-15,22,24-30 and 32-38 are pending in this application, with claims 1,11,22 and 34 being independent.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 22, 2025 has been entered.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1,3-15,22,24-30 and 32-38 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1,3-15,22,24-30 and 32-38 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. The claims are not clearly written to define metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
In claims 1,11,22 and 34, the limitation “transmit, to an access point . . an indication . .” is unclear. The applicant here fails to provide sufficient information about which link is used by the MLD to inform the AP regarding sending request to send frame. Due to lack of the details, the claimed invention is not unique.
In claims 1,11,22 and 34, the limitation “receive the first frame . . ” is unclear as to what link is used by the AP to send the RTS frame and which link the MLD expect to receive it.
Claims 3-10 and 32-33 are rejected based upon claim dependency to claim 1.
Claims 12-15 are rejected based upon claim dependency to claim 11.
Claims 24-30 are rejected based upon claim dependency
to claim 22.
Claims 35-38 are rejected based upon claim dependency to claim 34.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sudesh M. Patidar whose telephone number is (571)272-2768. The examiner can normally be reached M-F:: 10AM-6:30PM ET.
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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.
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/Sudesh M. Patidar/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2415