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 .
This office action is in response to remarks filed 02/26/2026.
Claims 1-7, 9-16, and 18 are pending and presented for examination. Claims 1 and 10 are amended. Claims 8 and 17 are cancelled.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 02/26/2026 has been entered.
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) 1, 2, 5-7, 10, 11, and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (US 20220015141 A1, hereinafter “Huang”), in view of Jang et al. (US 20230188278 A1, hereinafter “Jang”), in view of Han et al. (Jonghun Han et al., "Trigger Frame for Frequency-domain A-PPDU Support", doc.: IEEE 802.11-20/0831r2, May 20 2020. USPTO Retrieved 04-02-2026: https://mentor.ieee.org/802.11/dcn/20/11-20-0831-02-00be-trigger-frame-forfrequency-domain-a-ppdu-support.pptx, hereinafter “Han”).
RE Claim 1, 10, Huang discloses a terminal or method:
A terminal in a wireless communication system (¶0042, Fig. 1), the terminal comprising:
a processor configured to:
receive, from an access point (AP), a frame indicating transmission of a physical layer protocol data unit (PPDU) to one or more terminals (AP transmits a PPDU carrying one or more identical trigger frames. ¶0045; STA awaits a Trigger frame in a given band. ¶0046, Fig. 3; ¶0046; AP transmits multi-band trigger frames to one or more STAs, terminals, by a multi-band OURA procedure. ¶0055, Fig. 5),
wherein the frame includes a common information field and one or more user information fields for the one or more terminals (STA awaits a Trigger frame in a given band. A multi-band Trigger frame is sent with adding signaling that indicates multi-band Trigger frame in a Common Info Field of the Trigger frame. ¶0046, Fig. 3; ¶0046; Trigger frame includes a User Info field. ¶0048, Fig. 3),
wherein each one of the one or more user information fields includes an association identifier (AID12) subfield indicating usage of a corresponding user information field among the one or more user information fields(User Info field of the Trigger frame includes AID12 subfield. ¶0052, Fig. 3, 5),
Huang does not explicitly disclose:
wherein the common information field and the corresponding user information field are used to indicate whether a type of a PPDU transmitted in response to the frame is a high efficiency (HE) type or an extremely high throughput (EHT) type, and
when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the EHT type by the common information field and the corresponding user information field,
the AID 12 subfield is configured as one of a plurality of values that are other than at least one specific value usable when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type, and
transmit the PPDU of the EHT type in response to the frame.
However, Jang discloses:
wherein the common information field and the corresponding user information field are used to indicate whether a type of a PPDU transmitted in response to the frame is a high efficiency (HE) type or an extremely high throughput (EHT) type (Trigger frame includes common information and user information fields. Common information field includes an AID present field related to whether the user information field having the specific value is present in the first field of the user information field. User information field includes a first field related to an association identifier, AID, and a second field including information for a STA related to the AID. Second field includes special information for all STAs receiving the trigger frame. ¶0004; Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit of the common field may be used. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047 indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191; If the AID present field does not indicate special information based on a specific AID then the STA performs only a behavior of finding only an AID and not the specific AID. ¶0189), and
when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the EHT type by the common information field and the corresponding user information field (Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit of the common field may be used. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047 indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191;), and
transmit the PPDU of the EHT type in response to the frame (AP receives a trigger-based PPDU from a STA, a trigger-based physical protocol data unit, PPDU, in response to the trigger frame. ¶0217, Fig. 23).
Huang and Jang do not explicitly disclose:
the AID 12 subfield is configured as one of a plurality of values that are other than at least one specific value usable when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type, and
However, Han discloses: the AID 12 subfield is configured as one of a plurality of values that are other than at least one specific value usable when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type (Assign one of the reserved AID (2008-2044, 2047-4094) to indicate EHT or EHT+ common info. EHT STAs obtain EHT specific information when one of the reserved AID is received while HE STAs ignore it. ‘Option 2a’ per Slides 10-12; Option 2b by assigning AID to value 4095, Slides 13-14), and
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, configuration of common information field and user information field present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format, with the teachings of Han, use one or more of the Reserved AID12 values to identify EHT or EHT+ PPDUs.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23; Han: Design Principles, Slide 4; Option 2a, Slides 10-12; Option 2b, Slides 13-14)
RE Claim 2, 11, Huang does not disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the plurality of values are used to identify the corresponding user information field.
However, Jang discloses:
The terminal, wherein the plurality of values are used to identify the corresponding user information field (Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit, value ‘1’ or ‘0’, of the common field may be used. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047 indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191;).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23)
RE Claim 5, 14, Huang does not explicitly disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, where whether the type of the PPDU is the EHT type or the HE type is identified based on a first bit of the common information field and a second bit of the corresponding user information field.
However, Jang discloses:
The terminal, where whether the type of the PPDU is the EHT type or the HE type is identified based on a first bit of the common information field and a second bit of the corresponding user information field (Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit, value ‘1’ or ‘0’, of the common field may be used, a first bit. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047, second set of bits, indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191;).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23)
RE Claim 6, 15, Huang does not explicitly disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type when the first bit is set to ‘1’ and the second bit is set to ‘0’.
However, Jang discloses:
The terminal, wherein the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type when the first bit is set to ‘1’ and the second bit is set to ‘0’ (Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit, value ‘1’ or ‘0’, of the common field may be used, a first bit. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047, second set of bits, indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191;).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23)
RE Claim 7, 16, Huang does not explicitly disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the AID12 subfield is configured as the one of the plurality of values and the at least one specific value when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type.
However, Jang discloses:
The terminal, wherein the AID12 subfield is configured as the one of the plurality of values and the at least one specific value when the type of the PPDU is indicated as the HE type (Common field includes a field to indicate a specific AID is present of the trigger frame, e.g. a reserved bit, value ‘1’ or ‘0’, of the common field may be used, a first bit. ¶¶0188, 0195, Fig. 21; User info field with AID12 field set to 2047, second set of bits, indicates the additional information is for an 11be STA, EHT type. ¶0191;).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23)
Claim(s) 3, 4, 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang, in view of Jang, in view of Han, in view of Li (US 20220201769 A1, hereinafter “Li”).
RE Claim 3, 12, Huang, Jang, and Han do not explicitly disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the at least one specific value is used to allocate a resource unit for uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) of at least one terminal supporting transmission of the PPDU of the HE type, and wherein a first specific value and a second specific value among the at least one specific value are used for resource unit allocation for a UORA operation of the terminals.
However, Li discloses:
The terminal, wherein the at least one specific value is used to allocate a resource unit for uplink orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA)-based random access (UORA) of at least one terminal supporting transmission of the PPDU of the HE type (The AID field is denoted as AID12. AID values are used to indicate random access resource units, RA-RU, allocated to the STAs. ¶0101), and
wherein a first specific value and a second specific value among the at least one specific value are used for resource unit allocation for a UORA operation of the terminals (AID12 = ‘0’ and AID12 = ‘2045’ indicate RA-RUs are allocated to high efficiency, HE, associated and unassociated stations. EHT STAs perform UORA by using RA-RUs associated with AID12 = “2047”. ¶0101)).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format, with the teachings of Li, use of ADI values to associate UORA operations for HE or EHT STA responses.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23; Li: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0012, 0053, 0083, 0101)
RE Claim 4, 13, Huang discloses a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the first specific value is "2045" (If the STA is not associated with a BSS, an AP, then the AID12 subfield value is 2045, a first specific value. ¶0052), and
wherein the second specific value is “0” (If the STA is associated with a BSS, an AP, then the AID12 subfield value is 0, a second specific value. ¶0052).
Claim(s) 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang, in view of Jang, in view of Han, in view of Hedayat (US 20160302229 A1, hereinafter “Hedayat”).
RE Claim 9, 18, Huang, Jang, and Han do not explicitly disclose a terminal or method:
The terminal, wherein the frame includes a special user field,
Wherein the special user information field includes a Trigger Dependent User Info Field with a length of 4 octets, when a type of the frame is MU (multi-user)-BAR (block acknowledgement request), and
wherein the special user information field does not include the Trigger Dependent User Info field when the type of frame is GCR (groupcast with retries) MU-BAR.
However, Hedayat discloses:
The terminal, wherein the frame includes a special user information field (A MU-BAR variant of a trigger frame then a Trigger Dependent Per User Info field is included. ¶0134, Fig. 11;,
wherein the special user information field includes a Trigger Dependent User Info Field with a length of 4 octets (A MU-BAR variant of a trigger frame then a Trigger Dependent Per User Info field is included. ¶0134, Fig. 11; BAR information includes the combination of per TID information field, 2 octets, and the starting sequence control field, 2 octets, for a total length of 4 octets. ¶0066, Fig. 6A: 606, 607), when a type of the frame is MU (multi-user)-BAR (block acknowledgement request) (Block acknowledgement request, BAR, frame. ¶0066, Fig. 6A; Type sub-field in a trigger frame indicates MU-BAR or Multi-STA BAR. ¶0126, Fig. 11), and
wherein the special user information field does not include the Trigger Dependent User Info field when the type of frame is GCR (groupcast with retries) MU-BAR (A trigger frame is a MU-BAR variant and a GCR indication and Multi-TID indication subfields in the common user information field. BAR Control and BAR Information is not present when GCR is indicated. ¶0069, 0136, Fig. 7a, 7b, 11).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Huang, STA receives a frame including common and user info fields with AID12 values present, with the teachings of Jang, indication of a specific AID is present for EHT or HE TB PPDUs using existing trigger frame format, with the teachings of Li, use of ADI values to associate UORA operations for HE or EHT STA responses, with the teachings of Hedayat, trigger frame format to indicate multi-user downlink operation for MU-BAR or GCR MU-BAR trigger frames.
The motivation in doing so would be to increase an amount of information included in a trigger frame while using a format of the existing trigger frame supporting backward compatibility and for 11be forward capability. The result is to reduce STA behavior and a decoding overhead by indicating in the trigger frame the format of the trigger-based response. (Huang: ¶¶0046-0049, 0052, Fig. 3, 4, 5; Jang: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0005, 0125-0127, 0182-0185, 0188-0191, Fig. 11, 19, 23; Li: Abstract, ¶¶0004-0012, 0053, 0083, 0101; Hedayat: Abstract, ¶¶0003, 0020, 0057, 0084, 0106)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 10 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
US 10694464 B2 Kim et al.
US-20190215873-A1 Lalam
US-20230115667-A1 Yoshikawa
US-20210227529-A1 Chu et al.
US 20210321293 A1 Chen et al.
US 20210377368 A1 Han et al. (Reference Han, filed 06-02-2020, KR 10-2020-0066702)
The above reference discloses various aspects of trigger frames with common information and user information including association ID (AID) subfield for random access such as UORA.
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/PAUL A. LANGER/Examiner, Art Unit 2419
/Nishant Divecha/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2419