ETAILED 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 .
Claims 1, 3-11, 13-18, 23 and 25 are subject under examination.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s)have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
Claims 11 and 25 objected to because of the following informalities: Applicant is claiming , setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message. It appears applicant wants to claim two separate limitation as setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information; and sending the second message. Therefore applicant should place “;” between the two limitation. Appropriate correction is required.
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, 3-10, 11, 13-18 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 is claiming a method for identifying a bandwidth, comprising:
Determining a trigger frame……; transmitting the trigger frame; and receiving a second frame ..It is unclear who or which device is determining , transmitting or receiving.
Claim 11 is claiming a method for identifying a bandwidth, comprising:
receiving a trigger frame……; determining a second message frame; and setting a bandwidth…. It is unclear who or which device is receiving, determining or setting.
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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 11, 13, 14, 23 and 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ghosh (US 20160198445 A1) in view of Jia (US 2020/0196289 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ghosh (US 20160198445 A1) teaches a method for identifying a bandwidth, comprising:
determining a trigger frame, wherein the trigger frame comprises bandwidth information (see para 0065 “The master station may include circuitry configured to generate a trigger frame (TF) comprising one or more resource allocations”) , and the bandwidth information comprises a first identifier and a second identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information (see para 0029 “he trigger frame 200 may include.… an OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field”; see para 0033 “OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field may include sub-fields including an OFDMA or MU-MIMO group identification (ID) 216 sub-field, an OFDMA or MU-MIMO bandwidth (BW) 218 sub-field. For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz”; see para 0037, para 0040 “he resource allocation information 212 field may include a 20 MHz allocation 406 field,… and an OFDMA allocation 404 field”..” the OFDMA allocation 404 field may include an allocation bandwidth (BW) 408 sub-field” see para 0041 “e allocation BW 408 sub-field may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated to a HEW station 104”)[ trigger frame includes OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field, where OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field indicate whether the bandwidth/ allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz, therefore this indication of bandwidth allocation is interpreted as first identifier; further trigger frame includes resource allocation information field which includes an allocation BW 408 sub-field which may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated ; indication of sub-channel BW allocated is interpreted as second identifier] ; and
transmitting the trigger frame (see para 0065 “The master station may include circuitry configured to generate a trigger frame (TF) comprising one or more resource allocations”); and
Ghosh doesn’t teach receiving a second message frame from a device receiving the trigger frame, wherein the second message frame is determined based on the bandwidth information, and a bandwidth for sending the second message frame is set by the device receiving the trigger frame.
Jai teaches receiving a second message frame from a device receiving the trigger frame, wherein the second message frame is determined based on the bandwidth information, and a bandwidth for sending the second message frame is set by the device receiving the trigger frame (see para 0140 “the network device sends the resource indication information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine, based on the resource indication information, the resource (for example, a specific BWP in which the resource is located and a corresponding resource location) allocated by the network device to the terminal device"; see para 0186 "The terminal device sends uplink data to the network device on a resource corresponding to the resource indication information, where the resource is determined by the terminal device based on the resource indication information.")
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the second message frame is determined based on the bandwidth information, and a bandwidth for sending the second message frame is set by the device receiving the trigger frame in the system of Ghosh. The motivation is to improve utilization of the resource (Jai: see para 0132)
Regarding claim 11, Gosh teaches method for identifying a bandwidth, comprising: receiving a trigger frame, wherein, the trigger frame comprises bandwidth information (see para 0086 “Example 22 is a station. The station may include circuitry configured to receive a trigger frame (TF) from a master station comprising one or more resource allocations”) , and the bandwidth information comprises a first identifier and a second identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information see para 0029 “he trigger frame 200 may include.… an OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field”; see para 0033 “OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field may include sub-fields including an OFDMA or MU-MIMO group identification (ID) 216 sub-field, an OFDMA or MU-MIMO bandwidth (BW) 218 sub-field. For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz”; see para 0037, para 0040 “he resource allocation information 212 field may include a 20 MHz allocation 406 field,… and an OFDMA allocation 404 field”..” the OFDMA allocation 404 field may include an allocation bandwidth (BW) 408 sub-field” see para 0041 “allocation BW 408 sub-field may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated to a HEW station 104”)[ trigger frame includes OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field, where OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field indicate whether the bandwidth/ allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz, therefore this indication of bandwidth allocation is interpreted as first identifier; further trigger frame includes resource allocation information field which includes an allocation BW 408 sub-field which may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated ; indication of sub-channel BW allocated is interpreted as second identifier].
Gosh doesn’t teach determining a second message frame based on the bandwidth information; and setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame.
Jai teaches determining a second message frame based on the bandwidth information; and setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame. (see para 0140 “the network device sends the resource indication information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine, based on the resource indication information, the resource (for example, a specific BWP in which the resource is located and a corresponding resource location) allocated by the network device to the terminal device"; see para 0186 "The terminal device sends uplink data to the network device on a resource corresponding to the resource indication information, where the resource is determined by the terminal device based on the resource indication information.")
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame in the system of Ghosh. The motivation is to improve utilization of the resource (Jai: see para 0132)
Regarding claim 23, Ghosh teaches an electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, wherein, when the processor executes the computer program, the method of claim 1 is implemented (see para 0064 “master station 800 is illustrated as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may comprise one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and combinations of various hardware and logic circuitry for performing at least the functions described herein”).
Regarding claim 25, Gosh teaches An electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor and a computer program stored on the memory and executable on the processor, wherein, when the processor executes the computer program (see para 0064 “the HEW station and/or master station 800 is illustrated as having several separate functional elements, one or more of the functional elements may be combined and may be implemented by combinations of software-configured elements, such as processing elements including digital signal processors (DSPs), and/or other hardware elements. For example, some elements may comprise one or more microprocessors, DSPs, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs), and combinations of various hardware and logic circuitry for performing at least the functions described herein.”), the processor is configured to:
receive a trigger frame, wherein, the trigger frame comprises bandwidth information (see para 0086 “Example 22 is a station. The station may include circuitry configured to receive a trigger frame (TF) from a master station comprising one or more resource allocations”) , and the bandwidth information comprises a first identifier and a second identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information see para 0029 “he trigger frame 200 may include.… an OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field”; see para 0033 “OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field may include sub-fields including an OFDMA or MU-MIMO group identification (ID) 216 sub-field, an OFDMA or MU-MIMO bandwidth (BW) 218 sub-field. For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz”; see para 0037, para 0040 “he resource allocation information 212 field may include a 20 MHz allocation 406 field,… and an OFDMA allocation 404 field”..” the OFDMA allocation 404 field may include an allocation bandwidth (BW) 408 sub-field” see para 0041 “allocation BW 408 sub-field may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated to a HEW station 104”)[ trigger frame includes OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field, a resource allocation information 212 field, where OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field indicate whether the bandwidth/ allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz, therefore this indication of bandwidth allocation is interpreted as first identifier; further trigger frame includes resource allocation information field which includes an allocation BW 408 sub-field which may indicate the sub-channel BW allocated ; indication of sub-channel BW allocated is interpreted as second identifier].
Gosh doesn’t teach determine a second message frame based on the bandwidth information; and set a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame.
Jai teaches determine a second message frame based on the bandwidth information; and set a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame. (see para 0140 “the network device sends the resource indication information to the terminal device, so that the terminal device can determine, based on the resource indication information, the resource (for example, a specific BWP in which the resource is located and a corresponding resource location) allocated by the network device to the terminal device"; see para 0186 "The terminal device sends uplink data to the network device on a resource corresponding to the resource indication information, where the resource is determined by the terminal device based on the resource indication information.")
Thus, it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine setting a bandwidth for sending the second message frame based on the bandwidth information and sending the second message frame in the system of Ghosh. The motivation is to improve utilization of the resource (Jai: see para 0132)
Regarding claim 3, 13, Ghosh teaches the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier is a first value (see para 0033 “OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field may include sub-fields including an OFDMA or MU-MIMO group identification (ID) 216 sub-field, an OFDMA or MU-MIMO bandwidth (BW) 218 sub-field. For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz) and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second value is a second value (the resource allocation information 212 field may include a 20 MHz allocation 406 field,… and an OFDMA allocation 404 field”..” the OFDMA allocation 404 field may include an allocation bandwidth (BW) 408 sub-field”; see para 0043 “In the case of value 11 in the allocation BW 408 sub-field”), and the bandwidth is a first type of bandwidth (see para 0033 “For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz”).
Regarding claims 4, 14 Ghosh teaches the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier is a third value (see para 0033 “OFDMA or MU-MIMO 214 field may include sub-fields including an OFDMA or MU-MIMO group identification (ID) 216 sub-field, an OFDMA or MU-MIMO bandwidth (BW) 218 sub-field. For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz) and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier is a fourth value, and the bandwidth is a second type of bandwidth(see para 0033 “For example, for OFDMA, the OFDMA or MU-MIMO BW 218 sub-field may indicate whether the allocation is for 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz”).
Regarding claim 10, Ghosh teaches wherein the first type of bandwidth is 240MHz or 160 MHz+80MHz, and the second type of bandwidth is 320 MHz or 160 MHz +160MHz. (see para 0022 “the bandwidth may be one of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 80 MHz, 160 MHz, or 320 MHz contiguous bandwidth or an 80+80 MHz (160 MHz)”).
8. Claim(s) 5, 6, 15 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ghosh (US 20160198445 A1) in view of Jia (US 2020/0196289 A1) in view of Jones (US 20040152452 A1).
Regarding claim 5,15 Ghosh doesn’t teach wherein, the bandwidth information further comprises: a third identifier configured to indicate a type of the first message frame.
Jones (US 20040152452 A1) teaches the bandwidth information further comprises: a third identifier configured to indicate a type of the first message frame. (see para 0062 “Each message has a message header including a 20-bit forward ID code indicating the terminal 14 to which the message is addressed, a message type code indicating the message type.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine a third identifier configured to indicate a type of the first message frame in the system of Modified Ghosh. The motivation is to improve efficiency (Jones: see para 0006)
Regarding claim 6, 16, Modified Ghosh doesn’t teach the third identifier is configured to indicate whether to continue decoding the first message frame.
Jones teaches the third identifier is configured to indicate whether to continue decoding the first message frame. (see para 0097 “with a forward ID code matching the ID code of the terminal, and the terminal successfully decodes the message.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine a third identifier configured to indicate a type of the first message frame in the system of Modified Ghosh. The motivation is to improve efficiency (Jones: see para 0006)
9. Claim(s) 7-9, 17 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ghosh (US 20160198445 A1) in view of Jia (US 2020/0196289 A1) and further in view of Asterjadhi (US 2020/0015219 A1).
Regarding claim 7, 17, Modified Ghosh doesn’t teach the second message frame comprises at least one of a fourth identifier and/or a fifth identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information.
Asterjadhi teaches the second message frame comprises at least one of a fourth identifier and/or a fifth identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information. (Asterjadhi: see para 0097 “the STA 115-b may transmit a HE TB PPDU response to the AP 105-b, including the subfield value and extensions supported for the mode of operation.”; see para 0054 “Based on the operating mode, the STA may set the control ID subfield of a control subfield to a value indicative of a BQR indication within the associated control information subfield.”; see para 0013 “the value for the parameter of the BQR includes an indication of a sub-channel of the operating bandwidth available at the station”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine at least one of a fourth identifier and/or a fifth identifier configured to indicate the bandwidth information in the system of Modified Ghosh. The motivation is enhanced operability (Asterjadhi: see para 0006).
Regarding claim 8, 18, Modified Ghosh doesn’t teach the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a fifth value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is a sixth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a first value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a second value.
Asterjadhi teaches the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a fifth value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is a sixth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a first value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a second value. (see para .097 “he STA 115-b may transmit a HE TB PPDU response to the AP 105-b, including the subfield value and extensions supported for the mode of operation.”; see para 210 “The STA may transmit the BQR or the TWT element including an indication of the determined value for the parameter”; see para 0101 “The individual TWT parameter set field format may include a sequence of subfields spanning a sequence of octets. The sequence of subfields may include a TWT channel subfield spanning a single octet. The TWT channel subfield may include an available channel bitmap spanning multiple (for example 8) bits, for indication of which sub-channels of the operating bandwidth are permitted by the STA for enabling frame exchange with the AP.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a fifth value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is a sixth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a first value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a second value in the system of Modified Ghosh. The motivation is enhanced operability (Asterjadhi: see para 0006).
Regarding claim 9, Modified Ghosh doesn’t teach the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a seventh value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is an eighth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a third value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a fourth value.
Asterjadhi teaches the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a seventh value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is an eighth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a third value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a fourth value. (see para .097 “he STA 115-b may transmit a HE TB PPDU response to the AP 105-b, including the subfield value and extensions supported for the mode of operation.”; see para 210 “The STA may transmit the BQR or the TWT element including an indication of the determined value for the parameter”; see para 0101 “The individual TWT parameter set field format may include a sequence of subfields spanning a sequence of octets. The sequence of subfields may include a TWT channel subfield spanning a single octet. The TWT channel subfield may include an available channel bitmap spanning multiple (for example 8) bits, for indication of which sub-channels of the operating bandwidth are permitted by the STA for enabling frame exchange with the AP.”)
Thus it would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the bandwidth information corresponding to the fourth identifier is a fifth value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the fifth identifier is a sixth value in response to the bandwidth information corresponding to the first identifier being a first value and the bandwidth information corresponding to the second identifier being a second value in the system of Modified Ghosh. The motivation is enhanced operability (Asterjadhi: see para 0006).
Conclusion
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/PAMIT KAUR/ Examiner, Art Unit 2416