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 .
Responsive to amendments filed 10/20/2025.
Amended claims: 1, 3-8, 10, 12-16. New claim: 19. Claims 1-19 remain pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 10/20/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to the added language which recites “wherein for a PPDU bandwidth (BW) equal to or larger than 160 MHz frequency segment, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on a RU allocation subfield index that indicates ordering or position of a RU allocation subfield in a content channel”, the response does not recite where in the specification as filed support is found for the amendment. In reviewing the specification, some of this language appears verbatim in paragraph 68 of the printed publication which is replicated below:
[0068] According to the present disclosure, a value of each RU allocation subfield of a plurality of RU allocation subfields in a PPDU may not be able to indicate any information on frequency-domain positions of component RUs of a large-size RU combination. In particular, for each PPDU BW equal to or larger than 80 MHz, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of a large-size RU combination depend on one of: (i) a RU allocation subfield index, and (ii) the RU allocation subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index. An index of a RU allocation subfield in an EHT-SIG CC represents ordering or position of the RU allocation subfield among a plurality of RU allocation subfields in the same EHT-SIG content channel. As such, for each PPDU BW equal to or larger than 80 MHz, mapping between frequency-domain positions of component RUs for each of large-size RU combinations and EHT-SIG CC indices and RU allocation subfield indices need to be defined. Advantageously, the number of entries required for large-size RU combinations in RU allocation table is minimized. (Emphasis added)
As highlighted above, the paragraph explicitly recites a PPDU bandwidth equal to or larger than 80 MHz and not 160 MHz as the claim amendments recite. Thus, in lieu of an indication of explicit support for the amended language in the present specification, the claims are being interpreted in light of the specification, and this amended language does not appear to find support in the specification. Consequently, as admitted by Applicant in the response filed, the Yu reference is believed to meet the claim amendments. Namely, column 14, lines 17-40 and column 16, lines 20-28 (cited by Applicant in response) recite: “when the PPDU bandwidth is 80 MHz, there are still two CCs and there are four channels in total. Therefore, resource unit allocation information is overall indicated on the four channels based on a structure of CC1, CC2, CC1, and CC2 in ascending order of frequencies”, which is believed to meet the claim amendments as best understood and interpreted in light of the specification as filed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9-10, 12-13, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yu et al. (USPN 11,626,958; hereinafter Yu).
Regarding claim 1 Yu discloses a communication apparatus, comprising: circuitry, which, in operation, generates a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) comprising two signal field content channels in each 80 MHz frequency segment (col. 16, lines 20-25; AP generates a PPDU, where a transmission bandwidth of the PPDU is divided into M subblocks, M is an integer greater than 1, the transmission bandwidth is greater than or equal to 80 MHz), each of the two signal field content channels comprising a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks), wherein a value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields is indicative of sizes of component RUs of a large-size RU combination (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks); and a transmitter, which, in operation, transmits the generated PPDU (col. 16, lines 29-30; AP sends the PPDU to the plurality of STAs), wherein for a PPDU bandwidth (BW) equal to or larger than 160 MHz frequency segment, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on a RU allocation subfield index that indicates ordering or position of a RU allocation subfield in a content channel (column 14, lines 17-40; when the PPDU bandwidth is 80 MHz, there are still two CCs and there are four channels in total. Therefore, resource unit allocation information is overall indicated on the four channels based on a structure of CC1, CC2, CC1, and CC2 in ascending order of frequencies).
Regarding claim 2 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frequency position of the component RUs of the large-size RU combination is based on both of the value of each of the plurality of the RU allocation subfields and positions of each of the plurality of the RU allocation subfields in the two signal field content channels (col. 17, lines 20-35; col. 18, line 30 – col. 19, line 10; In each subblock, the AP configures corresponding P20, S20, and S40 channels for a STA in the subblock to which the STA belongs. It may be considered that the entire bandwidth has a plurality of (temporary) P20 channels).
Regarding claim 3 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein for a PPDU BW equal to or larger than 80 MHz frequency segment, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on one of (i) the RU allocation subfield index, or (ii) the RU allocation subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index (col. 16, lines 31-67; preamble part includes the M first fields (the first field may be understood as EHT-SIG-B of each subblock, or may be understood as a resource unit allocation subfield in EHT-SIG-B. For convenience, the first field is considered as the resource unit allocation subfield in EHT-SIG-B in the following, to describe the resource unit indication method). Optionally, the PPDU may further include M second fields (the second field may be understood as EHT-SIG-A)).
Regarding claim 4 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in case the PPDU BW is equal to or larger than 80 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (col. 12, lines 35-42; may include various combinations of 26-tone RUs, 52-tone RUs, 106-tone RUs, 242-tone RUs, 484-tone RUs, and 996-tone RUs), the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index (col. 17, lines 19-34; the first field is used to indicate an RU allocated by the AP to at least one of the plurality of STAs. For example, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of EHT-SIG-B in a subblock unit of 80 MHz (including two CCs) according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG. 14, each subblock includes four channels and two CCs. In Part 1, CC11 carries the following information: resource unit allocation subfields (which are respectively first fields corresponding to Part 1) within ranges of the first 242-tone RU and the third 242-tone RU of Part 1 and per STA information of a STA allocated in the corresponding 242-tone RU ranges).
Regarding claim 9 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a frequency position of the component RUs of the large-size RU combination is located within a defined 160 MHz segment (col. 16, lines 37-41; a subblock unit of 160 MHz or a larger bandwidth).
Regarding claim 10 Yu discloses a communication method comprising: generating a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) comprising two signal field content channels in each 80 MHz frequency segment (col. 16, lines 20-25; AP generates a PPDU, where a transmission bandwidth of the PPDU is divided into M subblocks, M is an integer greater than 1, the transmission bandwidth is greater than or equal to 80 MHz), each of the two signal field content channels comprising a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks), wherein a value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields is able to indicate sizes of component RUs of a large-size RU combination (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks); and transmitting the generated PPDU (col. 16, lines 29-30; AP sends the PPDU to the plurality of STAs), wherein for a PPDU bandwidth (BW) equal to or larger than 160 MHz frequency segment, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on a RU allocation subfield index that indicates ordering or position of a RU allocation subfield in a content channel (column 14, lines 17-40; when the PPDU bandwidth is 80 MHz, there are still two CCs and there are four channels in total. Therefore, resource unit allocation information is overall indicated on the four channels based on a structure of CC1, CC2, CC1, and CC2 in ascending order of frequencies).
Regarding claim 12 Yu discloses the communication method according to claim 10, wherein for a PPDU BW equal to or larger than 80 MHz, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on one of (i) the RU allocation subfield index, or (ii) the RU allocation subfield index and an EHT-SIG content channel (CC) index (col. 16, lines 31-67; preamble part includes the M first fields (the first field may be understood as EHT-SIG-B of each subblock, or may be understood as a resource unit allocation subfield in EHT-SIG-B. For convenience, the first field is considered as the resource unit allocation subfield in EHT-SIG-B in the following, to describe the resource unit indication method). Optionally, the PPDU may further include M second fields (the second field may be understood as EHT-SIG-A)).
Regarding claim 13 Yu discloses the communication method according to claim 12, wherein in case the PPDU BW is equal to or larger than 80 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 484-tone RU and one 242-tone RU (col. 12, lines 35-42; may include various combinations of 26-tone RUs, 52-tone RUs, 106-tone RUs, 242-tone RUs, 484-tone RUs, and 996-tone RUs), the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index (col. 17, lines 19-34; the first field is used to indicate an RU allocated by the AP to at least one of the plurality of STAs. For example, FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of EHT-SIG-B in a subblock unit of 80 MHz (including two CCs) according to an embodiment of this application. As shown in FIG. 14, each subblock includes four channels and two CCs. In Part 1, CC11 carries the following information: resource unit allocation subfields (which are respectively first fields corresponding to Part 1) within ranges of the first 242-tone RU and the third 242-tone RU of Part 1 and per STA information of a STA allocated in the corresponding 242-tone RU ranges).
Regarding claim 16 Yu discloses a communication apparatus, comprising: a receiver, which, in operation, receives a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) comprising two signal field content channels in each 80 MHz frequency segment (col. 16, lines 20-25; AP generates a PPDU, where a transmission bandwidth of the PPDU is divided into M subblocks, M is an integer greater than 1, the transmission bandwidth is greater than or equal to 80 MHz), each of the two signal field content channels comprising a plurality of resource unit (RU) allocation subfields (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks), wherein a value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields is indicative of sizes of component RUs of a large-size RU combination (col. 16, lines 20-28; the PPDU includes M first fields, the M first fields are in a one-to-one correspondence with the M subblocks); and circuitry, which, in operations, decodes the PPDU (col. 16, lines 29-30; AP sends the PPDU to the plurality of STAs), wherein for a PPDU bandwidth (BW) equal to or larger than 160 MHz frequency segment, frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on a RU allocation subfield index that indicates ordering or position of a RU allocation subfield in a content channel (column 14, lines 17-40; when the PPDU bandwidth is 80 MHz, there are still two CCs and there are four channels in total. Therefore, resource unit allocation information is overall indicated on the four channels based on a structure of CC1, CC2, CC1, and CC2 in ascending order of frequencies).
Regarding claim 17 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a frequency position of the component RUs of the large-size RU combination is based on both of the value of each of the plurality of the RU allocation subfields and positions of each of the plurality of the RU allocation subfields in the two signal field content channels (col. 17, lines 20-35; col. 18, line 30 – col. 19, line 10; In each subblock, the AP configures corresponding P20, S20, and S40 channels for a STA in the subblock to which the STA belongs. It may be considered that the entire bandwidth has a plurality of (temporary) P20 channels).
Regarding claim 18 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a frequency position of the component RUs of the large-size RU combination is located within a defined 160 MHz segment (col. 16, lines 37-41; a subblock unit of 160 MHz or a larger bandwidth).
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.
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) 5-8, 11, 14-15, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yu in view of Lim et al. (US Patent Application 2023/0188304; hereinafter Lim).
Regarding claim 5 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 160 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 320 MHz and 160+160 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU (col. 12, lines 43-48; When a bandwidth is 160 MHz or 80 MHz+80 MHz, the entire bandwidth may be considered as a duplicate of two 80 MHz tone plans, and the entire bandwidth may include one entire 2*996-tone RU, or may include various combinations of 26-tone RUs, 52-tone RUs, 106-tone RUs, 242-tone RUs, 484-tone RUs, and 996-tone RUs), the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index (col. 12, lines 10-15; An indication manner of the resource unit allocation subfield depends on tone plans in different PPDU bandwidths).
Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 240 MHz and 160+80 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index (paragraphs 0290-0295; when transmitting MU-PPDU for BW (160 MHz, 240 MHz, 320 MHz) over 80 MHz, the value of the number N of the RU allocation subfields included in the EHT-SIG content channel may be fixed to 2 and used). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 6 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 3. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 240 MHz, 160+80 MHz, 320 MHz and 160+160 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of two 996-tone RUs, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index (paragraphs 0225-0229, table 9; The 2×996-tone RU and 3×996-tone RU indicators of the SRU allocation information and the MRU allocation information are not used when full bandwidth MIMO or a common field exists at 160 MHz and 240 MHz). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 7 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 3. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index (paragraphs 0225-0235; RU allocation (RA) information may further include an MRU combination consisting of 484 tone+2×996 tone); wherein in case the PPDU BW is 240 MHz or 160+80 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of two 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index (paragraphs 0225-0229, table 9; The 2×996-tone RU and 3×996-tone RU indicators of the SRU allocation information and the MRU allocation information are not used when full bandwidth MIMO or a common field exists at 160 MHz and 240 MHz). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 8 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 3. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is 320 MHz or 160+160 MHz and the large-size RU combination is one of a combination of three 996-tone RUs or a combination of three 996-tone RUs and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index (paragraphs 0225-0240; RU allocation (RA) information may further include an MRU combination consisting of 484 tone+2×996 tone, and an MRU combination consisting of 484 tone+3 x 996 tone at 320 MHz). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 11 Yu discloses the communication method according to claim 10. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields is not able to indicate information on frequency-domain positions of the component RUs of the large-size RU combination (paragraphs 0249-0253; RU allocation subfield and index and EHT SIG content). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 14 Yu discloses the communication method according to claim 12, wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 160 MHz, 80+80 MHz, 320 MHz and 160+160 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU (col. 12, lines 43-48; When a bandwidth is 160 MHz or 80 MHz+80 MHz, the entire bandwidth may be considered as a duplicate of two 80 MHz tone plans, and the entire bandwidth may include one entire 2*996-tone RU, or may include various combinations of 26-tone RUs, 52-tone RUs, 106-tone RUs, 242-tone RUs, 484-tone RUs, and 996-tone RUs), the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index(col. 12, lines 10-15; An indication manner of the resource unit allocation subfield depends on tone plans in different PPDU bandwidths).
Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 240 MHz and 160+80 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of one 996-tone RU and one 484-tone RU, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index and the EHT-SIG CC index (paragraphs 0290-0295; when transmitting MU-PPDU for BW (160 MHz, 240 MHz, 320 MHz) over 80 MHz, the value of the number N of the RU allocation subfields included in the EHT-SIG content channel may be fixed to 2 and used). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 15 Yu discloses the communication method according to claim 12. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein in case the PPDU BW is one of 240 MHz, 160+80 MHz, 320 MHz and 160+160 MHz, and the large-size RU combination is a combination of two 996-tone RUs, the frequency-domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination depend on the RU allocation subfield index (paragraphs 0225-0229, table 9; The 2×996-tone RU and 3×996-tone RU indicators of the SRU allocation information and the MRU allocation information are not used when full bandwidth MIMO or a common field exists at 160 MHz and 240 MHz). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Regarding claim 19 Yu discloses the communication apparatus according to claim 1. Yu fails to explicitly disclose but Lim, in the same field of endeavor related to WLAN RU allocation, discloses wherein the value of each of the plurality of RU allocation subfields is not able to indicate information on frequency- domain positions of component RUs of the large-size RU combination (paragraphs 0249-0253; RU allocation subfield and index and EHT SIG content). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claim invention to modify the teachings of Yu with the teachings of Lim, in order to improve the WLAN system (Lim: paragraph 0004).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
USPN 10,327,246 to Seok – that discloses a method and apparatus for a wideband Physical layer Protocol Data Unit (PPDU) transmission in a High Efficiency WLAN (HEW).
USPN 10,165,551 to Bharadwaj et al. – which discloses techniques for resource allocation signaling in a high efficiency wireless local area network (WLAN) preamble.
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.
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/Aixa Guadalupe-Cruz/
Examiner
Art Unit 2466
/FARUK HAMZA/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2466