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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/30/2026 has been entered.
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 8, 14, and 22 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.
Regarding claims 8 and 22, Claims 8 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) as indefinite. Claims 1 and 15 require the first replay value to include both a location value and a time value. Claims 8 and 22, however, recite that the first replay value “is the time value” and that a separate second replay value comprises the location value. It is unclear whether the first replay value continues to include both values as required by the parent claim or whether the dependent claims replace that limitation with two separate replay values. Therefore, the scope of claims 8 and 22 is unclear.
Regarding claim 14, Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) as indefinite because it is directed to an apparatus, “The STA of claim 1,” but further recites the method step of “receiving” a second frame. It is unclear whether the claim covers an STA configured to receive the frame or only an STA while actually performing the receiving step. The applicant may wish to amend the claim as follow “wherein the processing system is further configured to cause the STA to receive…”.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on 04/30/2026, regarding independent claims 1, 15, 29, and 39 have been considered but are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Yang’s timestamp does not indicate a time at which the STA generated the pSSID and that Gadher does not teach the claimed location value generated by the STA
The claims require the replay value to include a location value and a time value as inputs to the hash function. However, the claims do not determine, verify, compare, or otherwise functionally use the location or generation time allegedly indicated by those values. Accordingly, patentable weight is given to the values as hash inputs, but their descriptive characterization as indicating the STA’s location or the time at which the STA generated the pSSID does not further distinguish the claimed processing. Yang and Gadher collectively teach using temporal and device generated location related values in generating a replay resistant hash. Therefore, the rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1, 7, 10-11, 13-15, 21, 24-25, 29, 32-35, 39, and 42-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 2014/0337633 A1; Hereinafter "Yang") in view of Olson et al. (US Pat. 7684563 B1; Hereinafter “Olson”) and Gadher et al. (W.O. No. 2014/113882 A1; Hereinafter "Gadher").
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As per claims 1, 15, Yang teaches a station (STA), comprising (Yang: fig. 11, para[109], “FIG. 11 illustrates an example communications device 1100. Communications device 1100 may be an implementation of a hashed SSID compliant communications device, such as a communications controller, such as an access point…. a UE, a user, a subscriber, a terminal, a mobile, a mobile station, and the like”):
a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories storing code, the processing system configured to cause the STA to: generate a pseudonym service set identifier (pSSID) (hashed SSID) using a single hash function, wherein: a first input to the single hash function includes a service set identifier (SSID) associated with a wireless network (Yang: para[110], “A hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to generate a hashed SSID (or a truncated hashed SSID) from a SSID. Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to use a hashing function, such as SHA-256.”);
a second input to the single hash function includes a medium access control (MAC) address of the STA, the second input of the MAC address and the first input of the SSID being separate inputs n (Yang: para[110], “Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to modify the SSID using a value, such as a timestamp, a frame type, a frame sequence number, a Nonce, a MAC address, and the like, prior to hashing. Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to combine, e.g., combine, add, and the like, the value with the SSID.” See also fig. 3b para [48-50], [78]), and
a third input to the single hash function includes a first replay value to prevent reuse of the pSSID in other frames (Yang: fig. 4b para[51], [53], [111] “An adder 460 may combine the numerical value produced by string to binary converter 455 and a value that is a numerical value pre-defined for a frame type, a timestamp, a nonce, a MAC address, a combination thereof, and the like, to produce a sum of the two numerical values. A hashing unit 465 may perform a hashing on a given input (as provided by adder 460) based on a cryptographic hash function, such as the SHA-256 hash function, and the like. A truncation unit 470 may truncate a hash output (as provided by hashing unit 465) to a specified length. A combine unit 475 may combine the truncated hashed SSID (as provided by truncation unit 470) with a pre-defined value (or a pre-defined string, a pre-defined sequence, and the like).”, para[82], “HASH_SSID.sub.--1(AP) may have been generated using the SSID associated with the AP modified with a value, e.g., a timestamp, a frame type, a frame sequence number, and the like, to help prevent a static hashed SSID from occurring. The Beacon frame may include the value used to modify the SSID so that the STA will be able to recreate the truncated hashed SSID.”), wherein the first replay value includes: a time value which indicates a time that the STA generated the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54],”);
the SSID differs from the pSSID (Yang: para[48-50], “The hashed SSID, as produced by example hashed SSID generators 300 and 350, is generally an unintelligible sequence of bits. So, it is highly unlikely that the hashed SSID will match with any SSID that is in the plain text form” according to the applicant’s specification, para[0207] “In particular, if a cryptographically strong hash function is used, there is a very low probability that the hash function generates a pSSID identical to the SSID such that it can be assumed that the SSID differs from the pSSID”, Yang teaches a hashed SSID using a hash function SHA-256, though the Hashed SSID differs from the SSID. Based on the definition on the applicant’s disclosure, Yang reads on “the SSID differs from the PSSID); and
transmit, to a first device, a frame including the pSSID in place of the SSID (Yang: para[59], “Message exchange diagram 600 may begin with AP 607, which is hashed SSID compliant, broadcasts a Beacon frame (shown as event 610). The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”).
Yang does not explicitly teach the second input of the MAC address and the first input of the SSID are concurrently input into the single hash function.
However, in the related art, Olson teaches two inputs that are concurrently input into a single hash function (Olson: col. 21, line 45-65, “Input buses IN2 and IN3 may be configured to provide input data to hash queue 425, for example to load hash queue 425 with an initial hash value before beginning hash value computation, or to load an intermediate hash value if a previous hash computation is resuming (e.g. after an interruption). In the illustrated embodiment, input buses IN2 and IN3 may be configured to concurrently fill any two hash value word positions (not necessarily adjacent) of hash queue 425. In other embodiments, it is contemplated that fewer or more hash value word positions may be concurrently filled. For example, in some embodiments SPU 240 may include a 32-bit, 128-bit or another width of an input path to hash logic 420, which may enable concurrent filling of one, four or another number of hash value word positions”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update Yang with the concurrently input process as discuss in Olson, it will reduce collision, thus improving cost and performance (Olson, col. 1, line 42-50).
Yang in view of Olson does not explicitly teach wherein the first replay value includes a location value generated by the STA which indicates a location of the STA.
However, in the related art, Gadher teaches wherein the first replay value includes a location value generated by the STA which indicates a location of the STA (Gadher: para[153], [176-190], [224-230] “The proximity based unit may provide the users with a session specific token (e.g. specific salt value). This randomly generated string may be used to salt a hash string that may be sent along with wireless based positioning requests. As a result, this proximity based approach may serve three purposes: 1 ) Finding the location of the device relative to the geo- fenced zone…Securing sessions (e.g. preventing replay attacks).”, “on each request the users calculate and send a hash, equation 6, to the server. Hasli(sal .sub.ll l† + salt .sub.<t + RS Sirring Ϊ User name + BuUdModcl + IMEI + MAC.sub.addrc s)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify Yang’s pseudonym SSID generation to include the location based replay value as taught by Gadher, it will improve the robustness of Yang’s pSSID, improve privacy and replay protection (Gadher: para[25], [169]).
As per claims 7, 21, Yang in view of Olson and Gadher teaches the independent claim 1. Gadher teaches wherein the location value includes a positioning measurement of the STA using a satellite positioning system receiver (Gadher: para[05], [96] “The aim of some localization technologies is to identify the exact location of a user for example using Global Positioning Systems (GPS). GPS technology generally provides an accurate solution for determining position in outdoor environments.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify Yang’s pseudonym SSID generation to include the location-based replay value as taught by Gadher, it will improve the robustness of Yang’s pSSID, improve privacy and replay protection (Gadher: para[25], [169]).
As per claims 10, 24 Yang teaches wherein the frame includes one or more values indicating one or more inputs other than the SSID to the single hash function to generate the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54], “A Nonce field 511 may be optionally present in Hashed SSID IE 500 to indicate a random number, which is generated and used for generating the hashed SSID by an AP or STA transmitting Hashed SSID IE 500. The presence or absence of the Nonce field in Hashed SSID IE 500 may be inferred from the value of Length field 507”).
As per claims 11, 25 Yang teaches wherein the frame includes an indication of a configuration of the single hash function used to generate the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54], “Hashed SSID IE 500 includes an IE ID field 505 carrying a new IE identifier defined for Hashed SSID IE 500, a Length field 507 indicating the number of total octets after Length field 507 in Hashed SSID IE 500, and a Hashed SSID field 509 carrying the truncated hashed SSID (e.g., the first six octets the hashed SSID).”).
As per claim 13 Yang teaches wherein: the frame includes one or more of: a probe request frame broadcast by the STA; an association request frame unicast by the STA to an access point (AP) of the wireless network; or (Yang: para [64], “Active scanning is another scanning procedure wherein STA 605 can obtain information about AP 607 so that STA 605 can decide to connect with or to not connect with AP 607. Active scanning may include STA 605 transmitting a Probe Request frame to AP 605 (shown as event 614).”).
As per claim 14, Yang teaches receiving, from an access point (AP), a second frame that includes one or more of: a beacon frame broadcast by the AP; a probe response frame transmitted by the AP; or a fast initial link setup (FILS) frame broadcast by the AP (Yang: (para[67], “AP 607 may send a Probe Response frame to STA 605 (shown as event 618). The Probe Response frame includes: a RA field set to the MAC address of STA 605, a TimeStamp field, and a Hashed SSID IE that includes a third truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”).
As per claims 29, 39 Yang teaches an access point (AP), comprising: a processing system that includes one or more processors and one or more memories storing code, the processing system configured to cause the AP to (Yang: fig. 11, para[109], “FIG. 11 illustrates an example communications device 1100. Communications device 1100 may be an implementation of a hashed SSID compliant communications device, such as a communications controller, such as an access point, an eNB, a base station, a NodeB, a controller, and the like, or a device, such as a station, a UE, a user, a subscriber, a terminal, a mobile, a mobile station, and the like”):
receive, from a station (STA), a frame including a pseudonym service set identifier (pSSID) in place of a service set identifier (SSID), wherein: the pSSID is generated using a single hash function (Yang: para [59], [109-110], “Communications device 1100 also includes a receiver 1110 that is configured to receive data frames, control frames including hashed SSIDs, and the like.”);
a first input to the single hash function includes the SSID associated with a first wireless network (Yang: para[110], “A hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to generate a hashed SSID (or a truncated hashed SSID) from a SSID. Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to use a hashing function, such as SHA-256.”);;
a second input to the single hash function includes a medium access control (MAC) address of the STA that generates the pSSID, the second input of the MAC address and the first input of the SSID being separate inputs, the PSSID being generated by a hash of the SSID and the MAC address using the single hash function (Yang: para[110], “Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to modify the SSID using a value, such as a timestamp, a frame type, a frame sequence number, a Nonce, a MAC address, and the like, prior to hashing. Hashed SSID generating unit 1120 is configured to combine, e.g., combine, add, and the like, the value with the SSID.” See also fig. 3b para [48-50], [78]), and
a third input to the single hash function includes a first replay value to prevent reuse of the pSSID in other frames (Yang: fig. 4b para[51], [53], [111] “An adder 460 may combine the numerical value produced by string to binary converter 455 and a value that is a numerical value pre-defined for a frame type, a timestamp, a nonce, a MAC address, a combination thereof, and the like, to produce a sum of the two numerical values. A hashing unit 465 may perform a hashing on a given input (as provided by adder 460) based on a cryptographic hash function, such as the SHA-256 hash function, and the like. A truncation unit 470 may truncate a hash output (as provided by hashing unit 465) to a specified length. A combine unit 475 may combine the truncated hashed SSID (as provided by truncation unit 470) with a pre-defined value (or a pre-defined string, a pre-defined sequence, and the like).”, para[82], “HASH_SSID.sub.--1(AP) may have been generated using the SSID associated with the AP modified with a value, e.g., a timestamp, a frame type, a frame sequence number, and the like, to help prevent a static hashed SSID from occurring. The Beacon frame may include the value used to modify the SSID so that the STA will be able to recreate the truncated hashed SSID.”), wherein the first replay value includes: a time value which indicates a time that the STA generated the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54],”);
the SSID differs from the pSSID (Yang: para[48-50], “The hashed SSID, as produced by example hashed SSID generators 300 and 350, is generally an unintelligible sequence of bits. So, it is highly unlikely that the hashed SSID will match with any SSID that is in the plain text form”); and
the processing system further configured to: obtain the pSSID from the frame (Yang: para[60-66], “Events 610 and 612 may be considered to be part of a passive scanning procedure wherein STA 605 can obtain information about AP 607 so that STA 605 can decide to connect with or to not connect with AP 607.”); and
indicate whether a candidate SSID stored at the STA matches the SSID associated with the first wireless network (Yang: para[60-66], “STA 605, recognizing the Hashed SSID IE, may perform a check to determine if the first truncated hashed SSID included in the Hashed SSID IE matches with one or more truncated hashed SSID generated by STA 605 utilizing SSID(s) of APs in the preferred WLAN list of STA 605 (shown as event 612). ….It is noted that related truncated hashed SSIDs, such as the first truncated hashed SSID included in the Beacon frame (event 610)..and the truncated hashed SSID generated by AP 607 in event 616, and the like, are generated using the same hash function. The use of the same hash function ensures that matching SSIDs result in matching truncated hashed SSIDs.”)
Yang does not explicitly teach the second input of the MAC address and the first input of the SSID are concurrently input into the single hash function.
However, in the related art, Olson teaches two inputs that are concurrently input into a single hash function (Olson: col. 21, line 45-65, “Input buses IN2 and IN3 may be configured to provide input data to hash queue 425, for example to load hash queue 425 with an initial hash value before beginning hash value computation, or to load an intermediate hash value if a previous hash computation is resuming (e.g. after an interruption). In the illustrated embodiment, input buses IN2 and IN3 may be configured to concurrently fill any two hash value word positions (not necessarily adjacent) of hash queue 425. In other embodiments, it is contemplated that fewer or more hash value word positions may be concurrently filled. For example, in some embodiments SPU 240 may include a 32-bit, 128-bit or another width of an input path to hash logic 420, which may enable concurrent filling of one, four or another number of hash value word positions”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update Yang with the concurrently input process as discuss in Olson, it will reduce collision, thus improving cost and performance (Olson, col. 1, line 42-50).
Yang in view of Olson does not explicitly teach wherein the first replay value includes a location value generated by the STA which indicates a location of the STA.
However, in the related art, Gadher teaches wherein the first replay value includes a location value generated by the STA which indicates a location of the STA (Gadher: para[153], [176-190], [224-230] “The proximity based unit may provide the users with a session specific token (e.g. specific salt value). This randomly generated string may be used to salt a hash string that may be sent along with wireless based positioning requests. As a result, this proximity based approach may serve three purposes: 1 ) Finding the location of the device relative to the geo- fenced zone…Securing sessions (e.g. preventing replay attacks).”, “on each request the users calculate and send a hash, equation 6, to the server. Hasli(sal .sub.ll l† + salt .sub.<t + RS Sirring Ϊ User name + BuUdModcl + IMEI + MAC.sub.addrc s)”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify Yang’s pseudonym SSID generation to include the location-based replay value as taught by Gadher, it will improve the robustness of Yang’s pSSID, improve privacy and replay protection (Gadher: para[25], [169]).
As per claims 32, 42 Yang teaches generate a candidate pSSID using the single hash function using the candidate SSID as an input to the single hash function to generate the candidate pSSID (Yang: [37], “The TA field is set to the MAC address of the AP. The SSID IE is set to a null SSID, and the Hashed SSID IE includes a first hashed SSID generated from the SSID associated with the AP.”).; and
compare the candidate pSSID to the pSSID to identify whether the candidate SSID matches the SSID (Yang: para[38], [42] “The STA compares the one or more hashed SSIDs with the received first Hashed SSID to determine if there is a match. Steps 700 and 702 may be considered to be part of a passive scanning procedure in which the STA can obtain information about the AP so that the STA can decide whether to connect with the AP or not.”).
As per claims 33, 43 Yang teaches wherein: the frame includes one or more input values to the single hash function used to generate the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54], “A Nonce field 511 may be optionally present in Hashed SSID IE 500 to indicate a random number, which is generated and used for generating the hashed SSID by an AP or STA transmitting Hashed SSID IE 500. The presence or absence of the Nonce field in Hashed SSID IE 500 may be inferred from the value of Length field 507”); and
obtain the one or more input values from the frame (para[60-66]); and
for each candidate SSID of the one or more candidate SSIDs, input the one or more input values and the candidate SSID to the single hash function to generate the candidate pSSID using the single hash function (Yang: [60-66], “STA 605 may use a technique for generating truncated hashed SSIDs, such as those discussed previously in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 4a, and 4b. As an illustrative example, STA 605 may use the value contained in the TimeStamp field of the Beacon frame to generate the truncated hashed SSIDs. STA 605 may compare the truncated hashed SSIDs and if there is a match, STA 605 may consider that AP 607 is a member of its preferred WLAN list. It is noted that both STA 605 and AP 607 use the same hashing function, such as SHA-256.”).
As per claims 34, 44, Yang teaches wherein the one or more input values further includes: a random value defined at the AP and the STA that generates the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54], “A Nonce field 511 may be optionally present in Hashed SSID IE 500 to indicate a random number, which is generated and used for generating the hashed SSID by an AP or STA transmitting Hashed SSID IE 500. The presence or absence of the Nonce field in Hashed SSID IE 500 may be inferred from the value of Length field 507”).
As per claims 35, 45 Yang teaches wherein the processing system is configured to obtain, from the frame, an indication of a configuration of the single hash function used to generate the pSSID (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54], “Hashed SSID IE 500 includes an IE ID field 505 carrying a new IE identifier defined for Hashed SSID IE 500, a Length field 507 indicating the number of total octets after Length field 507 in Hashed SSID IE 500, and a Hashed SSID field 509 carrying the truncated hashed SSID (e.g., the first six octets the hashed SSID).”).
Claims 6, 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 2014/0337633 A1; Hereinafter "Yang") in view of Olson et al. (US Pat. 7684563 B1; Hereinafter “Olson”), Gadher et al. (W.O. No. 2014/113882 A1; Hereinafter "Gadher"), and Asterjadhi et al. (US 20190268847 A1; Hereinafter “Asterjadhi”).
As per claims 6 and 20, Yang in view of Olson and Gadher teaches the independent claim 1.
Yang in view of Olson and Gadher does not explicitly teach wherein the time value includes a timing synchronization function (TSF) value.
However, in the related art, Asterjadhi teaches wherein the time value includes a timing synchronization function (TSF) value (Asterjadhi: para[0123], [0137], [0150], “The timestamp field 624 (optional with a length TBD) may contain a partial timing synchronization function (TSF). The partial TSF may allow the WUR STA to synchronize its clock to match the clock of the transmitting AP 104. The partial TSF may also allow the WUR STA to prevent and/or avoid replay attacks”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update the modified Yang with Asterjadhi, it will enhance the efficiency of roaming between the networks, and ensure a secure connection between devices within a network (Asterjadhi, para[0005]).
Claims 8, 22, and 30-31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang et al. (U.S. PGPub. No. 2014/0337633 A1; Hereinafter "Yang") in view of Olson et al. (US Pat. 7684563 B1; Hereinafter “Olson”), Gadher et al. (W.O. No. 2014/113882 A1; Hereinafter "Gadher"), and Boone et al. (US 10129499 B1; Hereinafter “Boone”).
As per claims 8, 22 Yang in view of Olson and Gadher teaches the independent claim 1. Yang teaches wherein: the first replay value is the time value (Yang: [59], “The Beacon frame includes: a TA field set to the MAC address of AP 607, a TimeStamp field, an SSID IE set to a null SSID, a Hashed SSID IE that includes a first truncated hashed SSID generated from the SSID of AP 607”, para[54],”).
Yang in view of Olson and Gadher does not explicitly teach a fourth input to the single hash function includes a second replay value to prevent reuse of the pSSID in other frames, the second replay value comprising the location value.
However, in the related art, Boone teaches a fourth input to the single hash function includes a second replay value to prevent reuse of the pSSID in other frames, the second replay value comprising the location value (Boone: col.11, line 1-6, “the SSID is combined with other information about a WLAN or an AP of the WLAN prior to hashing. ..The hash h may be generated from the combination of the SSID and the MAC address, a portion of the capability information, the list of rates supported by the WLAN, the security scheme of the WLAN (e.g., WEP, WPA, WPA2, etc.), other information from the beacon frame, or some combination thereof. The hash h may also be generated from a GPS location as detected by a GPS receiver on the camera 100.” ).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update the modified Yang with the location information of Boone, it will prevent malicious users from connecting to the network ensure a secure connection between devices within a network (Boone: col. 1, line 27-29).
As per claim 30, Yang in view of Olson and Gadher teaches the independent claim 29.
Yang in view of Olson and Gadher does not explicitly teach wherein: the wireless communication device is included in an access point (AP) associated with a second wireless network; and the candidate SSID is the SSID of the second wireless network.
However, in the related art, Boone teaches wherein: the (AP) is associated with a second wireless network (Boone: col. 4 line 19-38, “The two WLANs 120A, 120B are wireless local area networks, which may be, for example, Wi-Fi networks. The WLANs 120A, 120B may provide connected devices with access to a larger network, such as the Internet or an intranet….Each AP may be associated with one WLAN, but multiple APs may allow devices to connect to the same WLAN. For example, two APs may allow devices to connect to the first WLAN 110A, and another AP may allow devices to connect to the second WLAN 110B”); and
the candidate SSID is the SSID of the second wireless network (Boone: col. 4 line 19-28, “A WLAN may connect to multiple devices, such as the camera 100. Each WLAN may include an identifier, specific to that WLAN, such as a service set identifier (SSID).”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update the modified Yang with the location information of Boone, it will prevent malicious users from connecting to the network ensure a secure connection between devices within a network (Boone: col. 1, line 27-29).
As per claim 31, Yang in view of Olson and Gadher teaches the independent claim 29.
Yang in view of Olson and Gadher does not explicitly teach wherein: the candidate SSID is an SSID of a second wireless network to which the STA is to associate.
However, in the related art, Boone teaches the candidate SSID is an SSID of a second wireless network to which the STA is to associate (Boone: col. 4 line 19-28, “A WLAN may connect to multiple devices, such as the camera 100. Each WLAN may include an identifier, specific to that WLAN, such as a service set identifier (SSID).”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have update the modified Yang with the location information of Boone, it will prevent malicious users from connecting to the network ensure a secure connection between devices within a network (Boone: col. 1, line 27-29).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LYDIA L NOEL whose telephone number is (571)272-1628. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00.
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/L.L.N./Examiner, Art Unit 2437
/BENJAMIN E LANIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2437
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