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 .
Response to amendment
2. This is a Final Office action in response to applicant’s remarks/arguments filed on 10/06/2025.
3. Status of the claims:
• Claim 6 has been amended.
• Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to remarks/arguments
4. Applicant’s remarks/arguments filed on 10/06/2025 with respect to the rejection of claims 1-20 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
5. On pages 1-3 of Applicant’s remarks dated 10/06/2025, the applicant states that independent claims 1, 11, 18 and 19 require that “different sensing PPDUs” be “transmitted in parallel in time” on “different respective sub-channels differing from one another with respect to carrier frequency and being non-overlapping in frequency domain”. The Examiner's rejection asserts that paragraph [0113] of Chen teaches this limitation. This assertion is respectfully traversed. Paragraph [0113] of Chen provides only a generic, boilerplate description of various channel bandwidths and frequency bands that a standard IEEE 802.11 radio architecture might support. It does not, however, describe the specific P2P sensing method invented by Chen. There is no language in paragraph [0113] (or anywhere else in Chen) that connects these general radio capabilities to the "simultaneous" PPDUs sent by multiple STAs in Chen's method. To anticipate the independent claims, Chen must teach that multiple responders, when triggered to transmit in parallel, are specifically assigned to and transmit on different, non-overlapping sub-channels.
6. In response to applicant’s remarks, the examiner respectfully disagrees. It is noted that: Firstly, anticipation does not require that a reference describe the claimed invention using the same words as the claims. Rather, a reference anticipates if it discloses the claimed subject matter either explicitly or inherently, such that a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand the elements to be present. Secondly, a reference must be considered as a whole, and its teachings interpreted from the perspective of a person of ordinary skill in the art. When read in context, Chen teaches parallel sensing transmissions implemented using different frequency resources, consistent with the claimed “different respective sub-channels differing from one another with respect to carrier frequency and being non-overlapping in the frequency domain.”
Chen teaches Parallel Transmission by Multiple Responders: In addition to previously cited paragraph 113, Chen discloses a P2P sensing procedure in which a triggering STA causes multiple responding STAs to transmit sensing PPDUs in parallel within a defined sensing interval (see, at least Chen, para. 98-105). The parallel nature of the transmissions is explicit in Chen’s description of simultaneous responder operation following a common trigger. Thus, the requirement that sensing PPDUs be “transmitted in parallel in time” is taught by Chen.
Chen teaches assignment to different, Non-Overlapping Sub-Channels: Chen describes that the sensing operation may be performed using different channel bandwidths and frequency bands supported by IEEE 802.11 systems, including operation over subdivided bandwidths (i.e., sub-channels) (see at least Chen, para. 113). While Applicant characterizes this disclosure as “generic,” it must be read in the context of Chen’s sensing framework, which relies on concurrent transmissions from multiple responding STAs. A person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that simultaneous transmissions by multiple responders within a shared sensing operation necessarily require allocation to different, non-overlapping frequency resources in order to avoid destructive interference and to enable concurrent reception. In IEEE 802.11 systems, such concurrent operation is achieved through assignment of different sub-channels with different carrier frequencies, as described in paragraph 113. That is, paragraph 113 of Chen provides the frequency-domain mechanism by which Chen’s parallel sensing transmissions are implemented.
Applicant further argues that Chen does not “specifically assign” different responders to different sub-channels. However, anticipation does not require an express statement of assignment when the assignment is an inherent and necessary consequence of the disclosed operation. Given Chen’s disclosure of: multiple responders, parallel sensing transmissions, and operation over subdivided channel bandwidths, the use of different, non-overlapping sub-channels for the different sensing PPDUs is inherent in Chen’s system architecture as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
7. Finally, the examiner’s statement regarding the indication of allowable subject matter of claim 13 is based on claim 13 as a whole, not only on certain portions of the claim.
In view of the examiner’s responses above, Chen discloses all elements of independent claims 1, 11, 18, and 19, either expressly or inherently. Therefore, Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive, and the rejection under 35 U.S.C. § 102 is maintained.
Please see the rejection below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
8. 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.
9. 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
10. Claim(s) 1-5, 7-8, 10-12, 14, 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (US 2022/0150962 A1).
Regarding claims 1, 11, 18, 19, Chen discloses a method for sensing an object using wireless signals, comprising, by a sensing initiator:
wirelessly communicating with a plurality of sensing responders to set up an object sensing measurement (Chen, Fig. 2, para. 43, 24: Sensing transmitter may refer to a STA that transmits PPDUs used for sensing measurements in a sensing session. Sensing receiver may refer to a STA that receives PPDUs sent by a sensing transmitter and performs sensing measurements. In a sensing session, there is one sensing initiator, one or more sensing responders, one or more sensing transmitters, and one or more sensing receivers);
transmitting, to each of the sensing responders, or receiving from each of the sensing responders, a different respective sensing PPDU on a different respective one of a plurality of sub-channels, the different respective sensing PPDUs being transmitted in parallel in time, the different respective sub-channels differing from one another with respect to carrier frequency and being non-overlapping in frequency domain (Chen, para. 53, 55, 98-105, 113: the STA 306 may send a sensing PPDU 326 having an STA identifier indicating the STA 306, and the STA 308 may send a sensing PPDU 328 having an STA identifier indicating the STA 308. In this manner, the AP 302 may facilitate P2P Wi-Fi sensing exchanges between the user devices by sending the trigger frame 324 to all sensing transmitters at the same time to trigger multiple simultaneous sensing PPDUs to be sent. In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU. Moreover, paragraph 113 further shows the sub-channels being non-overlapping in frequency domain); and obtaining indications of measurements of the plurality of sub-channels based on receipt of the sensing PPDUs by the sensing initiator, or based on receipt of reports from the plurality of sensing responders, the reports generated based on receipt of the sensing PPDUs, the indications of measurements usable to estimate one or more physical characteristics of the object (Chen, para. 43, 51-56: In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU. The sensing receiver devices may listen for sensing PPDUs, and based on the received sensing PPDUs from other P2P devices, may perform Wi-Fi sensing measurements. A sensing receiver STA may listen for the sensing PPDU and performs measurements based on the received sensing PPDU. Because the sensing PPDU includes the STA ID of the transmitter, the sensing receiver STA may be able to identify to which transmitter the received PPDU belongs).
Regarding claims 2, 8, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: said reports from the plurality of sensing responders comprise a different respective report from each one of the plurality of sensing responders, each of the different respective reports received using a different respective one of the plurality of sub-channels; and said different respective reports are received in parallel in time (Chen, para. 53, 100: an AP 302 interacts with (e.g., forms a BSS with) one or more user devices (e.g., STA 304, STA 306, STA 308). The STA 304 is shown as both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. During a negotiation phase 310, the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314. The exchange during the negotiation phase allows the AP 302 to determine which device will be a sensing transmitter and/or sensing receiver for P2P Wi-Fi sensing operations. During a sensing transmission and reception phase 320, the AP 302 may send a sensing PPDU 322 with the STA identifier indicating the AP 302, and subsequently may send a trigger frame 324 to trigger the other user devices that did not send the sensing request 312 (e.g., STA 306 and STA 308) to send sensing PPDUs. Chen further discloses the operations may be carried out in parallel).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the sensing initiator transmits each one of the sensing PPDUs, and each of the plurality of sensing responders measures one of the different respective sub-channels to receive its respective sensing PPDU to obtain said measurements with respect to said one of the different respective sub-channels (Chen, Fig. 5, para. 58: Referring to FIG. 5, the P2P Wi-Fi sensing process 500 represents a scenario in which a STA is both the sensing initiator and sensing transmitter. While both FIGS. 3-5 show the same negotiation phase 310, FIG. 5 uses a different sensing transmission and reception phase 502 in which the STA 304 is the sensing transmitter. The STA 304 may broadcast a sensing PPDU 506 (e.g., send the sensing PPDU 506 to all nearby devices) so that the other devices may receive the sensing PPDU 506 and perform Wi-Fi sensing based on the sensing PPDU 506).
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein transmitting each of the different respective sensing PPDUs in parallel comprises transmitting each of the different respective sensing PPDUs with at least partially overlapping timing with at least one other of the different respective sensing PPDUs (Chen, para. 58: the AP 302 may facilitate P2P Wi-Fi sensing exchanges between the user devices by sending a trigger frame individually to a sensing transmitter (e.g., the STA 304 as determined during the negotiation phase 310) to trigger a sensing PPDU to be broadcast by the sensing transmitter to the sensing receiver devices. In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU.).
Regarding claim 5, Chen discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the different respective reports received in parallel are transmitted by the plurality of sensing responders with at least partially overlapping timing (Chen, para. 53-55: the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314).
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein: said reports from the plurality of sensing responders comprise a different respective report from each one of the plurality of sensing responders, each of the different respective reports received using a different respective directed and spatially separate wireless communication stream (Chen, para. 53: Referring to FIG. 3, the P2P Wi-Fi sensing process 300 represents a scenario in which a STA is both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. As shown, an AP 302 interacts with (e.g., forms a BSS with) one or more user devices (e.g., STA 304, STA 306, STA 308). The STA 304 is shown as both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. During a negotiation phase 310, the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314. The exchange during the negotiation phase allows the AP 302 to determine which device will be a sensing transmitter and/or sensing receiver for P2P Wi-Fi sensing operations. During a sensing transmission and reception phase 320, the AP 302 may send a sensing PPDU 322 with the STA identifier indicating the AP 302, and subsequently may send a trigger frame 324 to trigger the other user devices that did not send the sensing request 312 (e.g., STA 306 and STA 308) to send sensing PPDUs).
Regarding claim 10, Chen discloses the method of claim 1, wherein wirelessly communicating with the plurality of sensing responders to set up the object sensing measurement comprises communicating with each one of the sensing responders using a different respective directed and spatially separate wireless communication stream (Referring to FIG. 3, the P2P Wi-Fi sensing process 300 represents a scenario in which a STA is both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. As shown, an AP 302 interacts with (e.g., forms a BSS with) one or more user devices (e.g., STA 304, STA 306, STA 308). The STA 304 is shown as both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. During a negotiation phase 310, the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314. The exchange during the negotiation phase allows the AP 302 to determine which device will be a sensing transmitter and/or sensing receiver for P2P Wi-Fi sensing operations. During a sensing transmission and reception phase 320, the AP 302 may send a sensing PPDU 322 with the STA identifier indicating the AP 302, and subsequently may send a trigger frame 324 to trigger the other user devices that did not send the sensing request 312 (e.g., STA 306 and STA 308) to send sensing PPDUs).
Regarding claim 12, Chen discloses the method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining measurements of said one of the plurality of sub-channels in order to estimate one or more physical characteristics of the object based on receipt of the sensing PPDU, and reporting an indication of said measurements to the sensing initiator (Chen, para. 43, 51-56: In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU. The sensing receiver devices may listen for sensing PPDUs, and based on the received sensing PPDUs from other P2P devices, may perform Wi-Fi sensing measurements. A sensing receiver STA may listen for the sensing PPDU and performs measurements based on the received sensing PPDU. Because the sensing PPDU includes the STA ID of the transmitter, the sensing receiver STA may be able to identify to which transmitter the received PPDU belongs).
Regarding claim 14, Chen discloses the method of claim 11, wherein transmitting each of the different respective sensing PPDUs in parallel comprises transmitting each of the different respective sensing PPDUs with at least partially overlapping timing with at least one other of the different respective sensing PPDUs (Chen, para. 58: the AP 302 may facilitate P2P Wi-Fi sensing exchanges between the user devices by sending a trigger frame individually to a sensing transmitter (e.g., the STA 304 as determined during the negotiation phase 310) to trigger a sensing PPDU to be broadcast by the sensing transmitter to the sensing receiver devices. In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU.).
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses the method of claim 12, wherein:
each of the one or more other sensing responders reports respective indications of measurements in relation to the object, based on receipt of a respective one of the other sensing PPDUs to the sensing initiator; and the sensing responder and each of the one or more other sensing responders reports its indication of said measurements using a different respective directed and spatially separate wireless communication stream (Chen, para. 53: Referring to FIG. 3, the P2P Wi-Fi sensing process 300 represents a scenario in which a STA is both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. As shown, an AP 302 interacts with (e.g., forms a BSS with) one or more user devices (e.g., STA 304, STA 306, STA 308). The STA 304 is shown as both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. During a negotiation phase 310, the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314. The exchange during the negotiation phase allows the AP 302 to determine which device will be a sensing transmitter and/or sensing receiver for P2P Wi-Fi sensing operations. During a sensing transmission and reception phase 320, the AP 302 may send a sensing PPDU 322 with the STA identifier indicating the AP 302, and subsequently may send a trigger frame 324 to trigger the other user devices that did not send the sensing request 312 (e.g., STA 306 and STA 308) to send sensing PPDUs).
Regarding claim 17, Chen discloses the method of claim 16, wherein said reporting the indications of measurements by the sensing responder and each of the one or more other sensing responders is performed in parallel in time by each of the sensing responders (Chen, para. 53, 100: an AP 302 interacts with (e.g., forms a BSS with) one or more user devices (e.g., STA 304, STA 306, STA 308). The STA 304 is shown as both the sensing initiator and sensing receiver. During a negotiation phase 310, the STA 304 may send a sensing request 312 to the AP 302, which responds by sending a sensing response 314. The exchange during the negotiation phase allows the AP 302 to determine which device will be a sensing transmitter and/or sensing receiver for P2P Wi-Fi sensing operations. During a sensing transmission and reception phase 320, the AP 302 may send a sensing PPDU 322 with the STA identifier indicating the AP 302, and subsequently may send a trigger frame 324 to trigger the other user devices that did not send the sensing request 312 (e.g., STA 306 and STA 308) to send sensing PPDUs. Chen further discloses the operations may be carried out in parallel).
Regarding claim 20, Chen discloses the apparatus of claim 19, further configured to obtain measurements of said one of the plurality of sub-channels in order to estimate one or more physical characteristics of the object based on receipt of the sensing PPDU, and report an indication of said measurements to the sensing initiator (Chen, para. 43, 51-56: In the sensing PPDUs shown, the STA identifiers may be included in PHY headers of the PPDUs, for example, to indicate the device that transmitted the respective sensing PPDU. The sensing receiver devices may listen for sensing PPDUs, and based on the received sensing PPDUs from other P2P devices, may perform Wi-Fi sensing measurements. A sensing receiver STA may listen for the sensing PPDU and performs measurements based on the received sensing PPDU. Because the sensing PPDU includes the STA ID of the transmitter, the sensing receiver STA may be able to identify to which transmitter the received PPDU belongs).
Allowable Subject Matter
11. Claims 6, 9, 13, 15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
12. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The following applicant’s claim limitations “transmitting, to each one of the plurality of sensing responders, a respective polling signal for one of said reports, a respective acknowledgement of one of said reports, or both, wherein each respective polling signal, each respective acknowledgement, or both, is transmitted in parallel in time using, in reverse, the different respective directed and spatially separate wireless communication stream used by the one of the plurality of sensing responders to transmit its respective report.”, as recited in claims 6 and 9, distinguishes over the prior art of record in that the closest prior art of record, the examiner found neither prior art cited in its entirely, nor based on the prior art, found any motivation to combine any of said prior art references which teaches the applicant’s claim limitations above.
The following applicant’s claim limitations “each of the one or more other sensing responders reports respective indications of measurements in relation to the object, based on receipt of a respective one of the other sensing PPDUs to the sensing initiator; the sensing responder reports its indication of said measurements using one of the plurality of sub-channels, and each of the one or more other sensing responders uses another respective one of the plurality of sub-channels for reporting its respective indication of measurements; and said reporting the indication of measurements by the sensing responder and each of the one or more other sensing responders is performed in parallel in time”, as recited in claim 13, distinguishes over the prior art of record in that the closest prior art of record, the examiner found neither prior art cited in its entirely, nor based on the prior art, found any motivation to combine any of said prior art references which teaches the applicant’s claim limitations above.
Claim 15 is also objected for its dependence on objected claim 13.
Conclusion
13. THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
14. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEAN F VOLTAIRE whose telephone number is (571)272-3953. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-6:45 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, FARUK HAMZA can be reached at (571)272-7969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEAN F VOLTAIRE/Examiner, Art Unit 2466
/CHRISTOPHER M CRUTCHFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2466