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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 1-2-2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1-2-2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the argument that “Seok is also silent on another information element that is different from the TIM and that indicates at least one link. Thus, Seok fails to teach or suggest "wherein the beacon frame includes two separated elements including a first element and a second element, wherein the first element indicates an identifier of the first link, and wherein the second element indicates that a data frame to be transmitted in the first link exists," as recited by claim 21.”; the examiner’s position is that Seok discloses in par. 0148: that although an AID allocation scheme may also be referred to as a hierarchical structure of a TIM. a total AID space is divided into a plurality of blocks, thereby, they are divided element and separated still reading in the claim limitation. If applicant’s separation is different the examiner invites the applicant oto include the difference in the claim for proper consideration.
As to the argument: “Cariou is silent on another information element that is different from the TIM and that indicates at least one link. Thus, Cariou fails to teach or suggest "wherein the beacon frame includes two separated elements including a first element and a second element, wherein the first element indicates an identifier of the first link, and wherein the second element indicates that a data frame to be transmitted in the first link exists," as recited by claim 21.”; as mentioned in the prior paragraph the sections of Seok can be interpreted as separated elements. If applicant’s separation is different the examiner invites the applicant oto include the difference in the claim for proper consideration.
The rest of the arguments they fall for the same reasons as shown above. The rejection of record stands.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 21-24, 26-30 and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok 20160014773 in view of Cariou 20240031871.
As to claim 21, Seok discloses a method for operating a first multi-link device (MLD) in a wireless local area network (see abstract), the method comprising:
transitioning, by a first station (STA) affiliated with the first MLD, an operating state of the first STA from a sleep state to an awake state in a first link [Each of STA1 220 and STA2 222 is switched from a sleep state to an awake state every wakeup interval of a predetermined period such that STA1 220 and STA2 222 may be configured to receive the TIM information element transmitted by the AP 210.] (see par. 0125);
receiving, by the first STA, a beacon frame from a first access point (AP) affiliated with a second MLD in the first link [STA1 220 may switch to the awake state when the AP 210 first transmits the beacon frame (S211)]; transmitting, by the first STA, a first power saving (PS)-Poll frame to the first AP in the first link [If the obtained TIM element indicates the presence of a frame to be transmitted to STA1 220, STA1 220 may transmit a power save-Poll (PS-Poll) frame, which requests the AP 210 to transmit the frame, to the AP 210] (see par. 0126); and
performing, by the first STA, a transmission and reception operation of the data frame with the first AP in the first link after transmitting the first PS-Poll frame [The AP 210 may transmit the frame to STA1 220 in response to the PS-Poll frame (S231). STA1 220 which has received the frame is re-switched to the sleep state and operates in the sleep state] (see par. 0126). wherein the beacon frame includes two separated elements including a first element and a second element, wherein the first element indicates an identifier of the first link, and wherein the second element indicates that a data frame to be transmitted in the first link exists. (see par.0087, 0124, 0138, 0148).
Seok fails to disclose multi-link device (MLD) including a first station (STA) and a second STA. In analogous art, Cariou discloses a first multi-link device (MLD) including a first station (STA) and a second STA in a wireless local area network (see abstract), the beacon frame including first information indicating the first link and second information indicating that a data frame to be transmitted in the first link exists (see par. 0017). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to combine the teachings for the simple purpose of compatibility with existing standards.
As to claim 22, Seok discloses the method according to claim 21, wherein the first element further indicates one or more links in which the one or more data frames are transmitted (see par. 0124, 0146).
As to claim 23, Seok discloses the method according to claim 22, wherein the first element comprises an indicator indicating each of the one or more links [DTIM or TIM] (see par. 0124). or an association identifier (AID) associated with the first MLD or the second MLD (see par.0087, 0138).
As to claim 24, Seok discloses the method according to claim 23, wherein the first element comprises an indicator indicating an AID associated with the first MLD or the second MLD, and wherein the AID is configured in a setup procedure between the first MLD and the second MLD [group-based AIDs] (see par. 0142-0148).
As to claim 26, Seok discloses the method according to claim 21, wherein, in case that the beacon frame indicates that the data frame to be transmitted in the first link, the operating state of the first STA is maintained in the awake state (see par. 0121, 0136).
Regarding claims 27-30 and 32 are the corresponding device claims of method claims 21-24 and 26. Therefore, claims 27-30 and 32 are rejected for the same reasons as shown above and par. 0019 for the processor.
Claim(s) 25 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok in view of Cariou and further in view of Multi-link Operation: Per-link AID.
As to claims 25 and 31, Seok discloses in case that the first element indicates the first and second links, transmitting, by a second STA affiliated with the first MLD, a second PS-Poll frame in the second link (see par. 0130). Seok fails to disclose a second AP affiliated with the second MLD. Multi-link Operation: Per-link AID transmitting, by a second STA affiliated with the first MLD, a second PS-Poll frame to a second AP affiliated with the second MLD in the second link (see slide 8). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to combine the teachings for the simple purpose of allowing communicating while minimizing interference.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARCOS L TORRES whose telephone number is (571)272-7926. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alison Slater can be reached at (571)270-0375. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MARCOS L. TORRES
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2647
/MARCOS L TORRES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647