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 Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/03/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 1, the Applicant argues that previously cited reference, Yang, does not disclose “sensing a signal strength on the channel” (page 7, last paragraph of the response filed on 06/03/2026). However, as shown in the previous Office Action, Yang (paragraph [0073]) discloses “The CCA includes both physical (PHY-level) carrier sensing …Physical carrier sensing is accomplished via a measurement of the received signal strength of a valid frame, which is then compared to a threshold to determine whether the channel is busy”, wherein the received signal strength is determined for a frame, which must be transmitted on a specific channel. It should also be noted that a Clear-Channel Assessment (CCA) is a well-known technique for determining whether “a channel” is clear for transmission. Therefore, the paragraph clearly teaches that Yang discloses a CCA, which assess a channel, based on a signal strength. The argument provided by the Applicant that Yang does not disclose “sensing a signal strength on the channel” is therefore not persuasive and the previously presented grounds of rejections are maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 9, 13-14 and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jang (US 2021/0329698) in view of Tanaka (US 12,244,422 B2) and Yang (US 2020/0178299).
Jang discloses the following features.
Regarding claim 1, a data transmission method, comprising:
generating a multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame, wherein the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame is used to request simultaneous transmission of data frames on at least two frequency bands (see MB RTS frames 2840 sent on bands 2810, 2820 and 2830 in Fig. 28 for requesting data transmission 2860 over multiple bands as shown in Fig. 28);
sensing a state of each channel on the at least two frequency bands (see “clear channel assessment (CCA) sensing results (busy/idle) of the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0297]);
sending the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame on the at least two frequency bands in response to determining that the at least two frequency bands are all in an idle state (see “the AP 2800 can transmit the MB RTS frame 2840 through the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0298], after the CCA described in paragraph [0297]).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame comprises: an initial multi-band transmission request message frame; or a multi-band request to send message frame (see MB RTS frame 2840 in Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 9, wherein: sending times of the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame on the at least two frequency bands are synchronized (see Fig. 28, wherein the MB RTS frames 2840 on bands 2810, 2820 and 2830 are synchronized).
Regarding claim 13, a data transmission apparatus (see AP 2800 in Fig. 28), comprising:
at least one processor; and
a memory for storing executable instructions of the at least one processor (see memory 3120 and processor 3110 in the STA 3100 in Fig. 31, wherein the STA 3100 may be an AP STA as shown in paragraph [0322]);
wherein, the at least one processor is configured to execute following operations when executing the executable instructions:
generating a multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame, wherein the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame is used to request simultaneous transmission of data frames on at least two frequency bands (see MB RTS frames 2840 sent on bands 2810, 2820 and 2830 in Fig. 28 for requesting data transmission 2860 over multiple bands as shown in Fig. 28);
sensing a state of each channel on the at least two frequency bands (see “clear channel assessment (CCA) sensing results (busy/idle) of the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0297]);
sending the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame on the at least two frequency bands in response to determining that the at least two frequency bands are all in an idle state (see “the AP 2800 can transmit the MB RTS frame 2840 through the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0298], after the CCA described in paragraph [0297]).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame comprises: an initial multi-band transmission request message frame; or a multi-band request to send message frame (see MB RTS frame 2840 in Fig. 28).
Regarding claim 29, a communication system (see AP 2800 in Fig. 28), comprising:
a first device, configured to perform the following operations:
generating a multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame, wherein the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame is used to request simultaneous transmission of data frames on at least two frequency bands (see MB RTS frames 2840 sent on bands 2810, 2820 and 2830 in Fig. 28 for requesting data transmission 2860 over multiple bands as shown in Fig. 28);
sensing a state of each channel on the at least two frequency bands (see “clear channel assessment (CCA) sensing results (busy/idle) of the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0297]);
sending the multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame on the at least two frequency bands in response to determining that the at least two frequency bands are all in an idle state (see “the AP 2800 can transmit the MB RTS frame 2840 through the first link 2810 to the third link 2830” recited in paragraph [0298], after the CCA described in paragraph [0297]); and
a second device (see STA 2804 in Fig. 28), configured to perform the following operations:
receiving a multi-band transmission connection establishment message frame on at least two frequency bands, wherein the multi-band connection establishment message frame is used to request simultaneous transmission of data frames on at least two frequency bands (see MB RTS frames 2840 sent on bands 2810, 2820 and 2830 in Fig. 28 for requesting data transmission 2860 over multiple bands as shown in Fig. 28).
Jang does not disclose the following features: regarding claims 1, 13 and 29, sending different data frames on at least two frequency bands, wherein the different data frames are obtained after data to be sent is divided into blocks, wherein sensing the state of each channel on the at least two frequency bands comprises: sensing a signal strength of each channel on the at least two frequency bands by using an energy detection mechanism at a physical layer; in response to determining that the sensed signal strength exceeds a threshold, determining a state of the channel to be busy; and in response to determining that the sensed signals strength is below the threshold, determining the state of the channel to be idle; also regarding claim 29, receiving different data frames on the at least two frequency bands, wherein the different data frames are obtained after data to be sent is divided into blocks
Tanaka discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1, 13 and 29, sending different data frames on at least two frequency bands, wherein the different data frames are obtained after data to be sent is divided into blocks (see Fig. 2, wherein at time t3, data being divided into 9 blocks and sent over three different bands).
Regarding claim 29, receiving different data frames on the at least two frequency bands, wherein the different data frames are obtained after data to be sent is divided into blocks (see Fig. 2, wherein at time t3, data being divided into 9 blocks and sent over three different bands).
Yang discloses the following features.
Regarding claims 1, 13 and 29, wherein sensing the state of each channel on the at least two frequency bands (Jang as applied above shows the use of CCA on the at least two frequency bands using paragraph [0297]) comprises: sensing a signal strength of each channel on the at least two frequency bands by using an energy detection mechanism at a physical layer; in response to determining that the sensed signal strength exceeds a threshold, determining a state of the channel to be busy; and in response to determining that the sensed signals strength is below the threshold, determining the state of the channel to be idle (see “Before transmitting data, the wireless communication device must perform a CCA and determine that the appropriate wireless channel is idle. The CCA includes both physical (PHY-level) carrier sensing and virtual (MAC-level) carrier sensing. Physical carrier sensing is accomplished via a measurement of the received signal strength of a valid frame, which is then compared to a threshold to determine whether the channel is busy… If the total energy detected is above a threshold, the medium is considered busy” recited in paragraph [0073], which is supported by paragraph [0059] of the provisional application 62/744,122 of Yang).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the current application to modify the system of Jang using features, as taught by Tanaka and Yang, in order to realize a high transmission speed (see column 1, lines 25-30 of Tanaka) and in order to determine that the appropriate wireless channel is idle (see paragraph [0073] of Yang).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JUTAI KAO whose telephone number is (571)272-9719. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-17:00 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kwang Yao can be reached at (571)272-3182. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUTAI KAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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