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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is in response to Applicant's response filed under 37 C.F.R. § 1.111 in response to a Non-Final Office Action. Claims 1 and 12 have been amended; No claims have been added; Claims 5, 10, 16, and 20 were canceled previously. Claims 1 - 4, 6 - 9, 11 – 15, and 17 - 19 are subject to examination.
Priority
Acknowledgement is made that claims 1 and 12, as originally filed, are entitled to the priority benefit of the earlier filing date of the prior-filed app. No. 63/025,242 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
Acknowledgement is made that claims 1 and 12, as originally filed, are not entitled to the priority benefit of the earlier filing date of the prior-filed app. No. 63/023,911 under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
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.
Claim 1 - 4, 6 - 9, 11 - 15 and 17 - 19 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.
Claim 1 and 12 recites “a station (STA) MLD on one or more links … a non-AP STA of the STA MLD switching respective receive chains”. It is not clear to examiner whether a non-AP STA is functionally separate from the STA. As best understood by the examiner and for the purpose of applying prior art, the examiner considers the non-AP STA is same as the STA.
Claim(s) 2 - 4, 6 - 9, 11, 13 - 15 and 17 - 19 are also rejected because they are dependent upon rejected claims 1 and 12 as set forth above and include limitations of the claims 1 and 12 respectively.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims have been considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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 1-4 and 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park et al. (Park hereinafter) (US 20210084711 A1) in view of HWANG et al. (HWANG hereinafter) (US 20230156795 A1).
Regarding claim 1 and claim 12, Park teaches, A method, comprising:
establishing communications between an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD) (Park; AP MLD 402, Par. 0100) and a station (STA) MLD (Park; Fig. 4 element “STA”) on one or more links of a plurality of links (Park; Fig. 4; A single radio non-AP MLD may be assumed to have 2×2 MIMO configuration and can reconfigure 2×2 Tx/Rx to two 1×1 Tx/Rx modules that can listen to two different channels, Par. 0098);
the STA MLD receiving a frame transmitted by an AP of the AP MLD on a first link of the plurality of links (Park; a multi-link operation system may facilitate that upon reception of the control frame (RTS 405 (or MU-RTS)), Par. 0107);
the STA MLD either: transmitting a response to the AP on the first link
responsive to receiving the frame from the AP (Park; the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) responds with a control frame (e.g., CTS 407), Par. 0107); or performing a listening operation on the plurality of links;
a non-AP STA of the STA MLD switching respective receive chains from a second link of the plurality of links to the first link responsive to the non-AP STA receiving the frame from the AP (Park; the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may configure its radio back to 2×2 Tx/Rx to receive a data packet 410, Par. 0107; The switching may occur depending on whether a sequence of control frames and/or data frames are sent by the AP 402, Par. 0100); and
the non-AP STA switching at least one respective receive chain from the first link
to the second link (Park; After receiving the data frame 410, the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may respond back with a BA frame 409. Once the data frame exchanges are complete, the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may be configured again into two 1×1 Tx/Rx modules so that it can listen to the two channels (e.g., channel 1 and channel 2), Par. 0109) end of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (Park; Ability to switch back to the basic functionality in two or more links ... After informing the AP that it is going to the basic functionality mode by signaling in an UL frame (e.g., last BA in the TXOP) … The above procedure can be defined as ... enhanced multi-link single radio mode, Par. 0084-0092).
Although Park teaches switching happening after 409, last BA in TXOP, but failed explicitly teach,
at an end of a transmission opportunity (TXOP).
However, in the same field of endeavor, HWANG teaches,
at an end of a transmission opportunity (TXOP) (HWANG; Fig. 6B; [Note that TXOP ends with BA]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Park to include the use of timing diagram as taught by HWANG in order to determine end of TXOP (HWANG; Fig. 6B).
Specifically for claim 12, Park teaches, An apparatus implementable in a station (STA) multi- link device (MLD), comprising: a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly; and a processor coupled to the transceiver and configured to perform operations comprising (Park; a non-Access Point (AP) MLD, Par. 0016).
Regarding claim 2 and claim 13, Park-HWANG teaches, The method of Claim 1 and The apparatus of Claim 12 respectively, wherein the frame transmitted by the AP
comprises a multi-user request-to-send (MU-RTS) frame, and wherein the response
transmitted by the non-AP STA comprises a clear-to-send (CTS) frame (Park; MU-RTS ... CTS 407, Par. 0107).
Regarding claim 3 and claim 14, Park-HWANG teaches, The method of Claim 2 and The apparatus of Claim 13 respectively, wherein the MU-RTS frame starts a frame
exchange sequence between the AP and the non-AP STA, and wherein the MU-RTS
frame is transmitted with a single spatial stream (Park; During the CTS transmission time, the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may configure its radio back to 2×2 Tx/Rx to receive a data packet 410 that may be transmitted in 2 spatial streams, Par. 0107).
Regarding claim 4 and claim 15, Park-HWANG teaches, The method of Claim 3 and The apparatus of Claim 14 respectively, further comprising:
responsive to the non-AP STA transmitting the CTS frame to the AP on the first
link, the non-AP STA transmitting and receiving one or more frames on the first link
without transmitting or receiving any frame on other links of the plurality of links until an
end of the frame exchange sequence (Park; The non-AP MLD and AP MLD exchange data frames on one-link at a time, Par. 0109).
Claim 6-9, 11, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park-HWANG and in further view of Asterjadhi et al. (Asterjadhi hereinafter) (US 20210007168 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Park-HWANG teaches, The method of Claim 3, further comprising:
responsive to the non-AP STA transmitting the CTS frame to the AP on the first
link, the AP transmitting to the non-AP STA a Data Unit (PPDU) up to a total supported receive spatial streams of the STA MLD until an end of the frame exchange sequence (Park; the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may configure its radio back to 2×2 Tx/Rx to receive a data packet 410, Par. 0107; Receive other PPDU format based on the capability, Par. 0080).
Park-HWANG failed explicitly teach,
a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU).
However, in the same field of endeavor, Asterjadhi teaches,
a Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) (Asterjadhi; The APs 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive ... physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs), Par. 0118).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Park-HWANG to include the use of PLCP PPDU as taught by Asterjadhi in order to determine the data unit format (Asterjadhi; Par. 0120).
Regarding claim 7 and claim 17, Park-HWANG teaches, The method of Claim 1 and The apparatus of Claim 12 respectively,
wherein the frame transmitted by the AP comprises a Buffer Status Report Poll (BSRP) Trigger frame, and wherein the response transmitted by the non-AP STA comprises a trigger-based (TB) Data Unit (PPDU) (Park; AP is required to transmit a Control frame (e.g., RTS) to poll the STA prior to transmitting any DL Data frame ... The frame can be RTS/MU-RTS/BSRP, Par. 0075-0076; The AP MLD transmits a Trigger frame to solicit uplink TB PPDUs from multiple users, Par. 0133).
Park-HWANG failed explicitly teach,
Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU)
However, in the same field of endeavor, Asterjadhi teaches,
Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP) Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) (Asterjadhi; The APs 102 and STAs 104 transmit and receive ... physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP) protocol data units (PPDUs), Par. 0118).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the teachings of Park-HWANG to include the use of PLCP PPDU as taught by Asterjadhi in order to determine the data unit format (Asterjadhi; Par. 0120).
Regarding claim 8 and claim 18, Park-HWANG- Asterjadhi teaches, The method of Claim 7 and The apparatus of Claim 17 respectively, wherein the BSRP Trigger frame starts a frame exchange sequence between the AP and the non-AP STA, and wherein the BSRP Trigger frame is transmitted with a single spatial stream (Park; During the CTS transmission time, the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may configure its radio back to 2×2 Tx/Rx to receive a data packet 410 that may be transmitted in 2 spatial streams, Par. 0107; MU-RTS/BSRP, Par. 0076).
Regarding claim 9 and claim 19, Park-HWANG- Asterjadhi teaches, The method of Claim 8 and The apparatus of Claim 18 respectively, further comprising:
responsive to the non-AP STA transmitting the TB PPDU to the AP on the first link, the non-AP STA transmitting and receiving one or more frames on the first link without transmitting or receiving any frame on other links of the plurality of links until an end of the frame exchange sequence (Park; The non-AP MLD and AP MLD exchange data frames on one-link at a time, Par. 0109; The AP MLD transmits a Trigger frame to solicit uplink TB PPDUs from multiple users, Par. 0133).
Regarding claim 11, Park-HWANG- Asterjadhi teaches, The method of Claim 8, further comprising:
responsive to the non-AP STA transmitting the TB PPDU to the AP on the first link, the AP transmitting to the non-AP STA a PPDU up to a total supported receive spatial streams of the STA MLD until an end of the frame exchange sequence (Park; the non-AP MLD (e.g., STA 420) may configure its radio back to 2×2 Tx/Rx to receive a data packet 410, Par. 0107; The AP MLD transmits a Trigger frame to solicit uplink TB PPDUs from multiple users, Par. 0133).
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 SHARMIN CHOWDHURY whose telephone number is (571)272-6419. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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, Noel Beharry can be reached at 5712705630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHARMIN CHOWDHURY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2416
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