DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). 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, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/15/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5, 7, 14-18, 20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, lines 25-26 the recited “in the 60GHz” should be “in the 60GHz band” to match the language of line 8.
Claim 1, line 31 the recited “in the 60GHz” should be “in the 60GHz band”.
Dependent claims 2-5, 7, 14-16 are also objected to since they depend on objected claim 1.
Claim 17, lines 24 and 30 the recited “in the 60GHz” should be “in the 60GHz band” to match the previously claimed “60GHz band”.
Dependent claims 18, 20 are also objected to since they depend on objected claim 17.
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 1-5, 7, 14-16 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, line 24 the recited “the NDPA transmitted in the sub-7GHz band” lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Claim 1, lines 25-26 the recited “of the two or more pre-beamformed sounding NDPs transmitted in the 60GHz” lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
Claim 1, lines 28, 30-31 the recited “of the two or more pre-beamformed sounding NDPs” lack antecedent basis in the claim.
Dependent claims 2-5, 7, 14-16 are also rejected since they depend on rejected claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Examiner has conducted a prior art search (as best understood) for the limitations of claim 1. The prior art of the record does not teach or suggest alone or in combination the claimed “wherein the MLO-TP is greater than the SIFS, and wherein the SIFS is greater than the NIFS” and the MLO-TP is interpreted as corresponding to an interval between the control signal (of amended line 16 of claim 1), the NIFS is interpreted as corresponding to an interval between successive NDPs and the SIFS is interpreted as corresponding to an interval between the BFRP trigger and the either one or both of the one or more beambook indexes and CSI.
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Although independent claim 17 is currently objected to for a minor informality, claim 17 recites allowable subject matter as indicated in the 03/16/2026 Office Action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mei et al. (US 12,200,529) refer at least to Fig. 3, timing diagram of a channel sounding.
Trainin et al. (US 8,989,038) refer to the frame exchange of Fig. 3.
Da Silva (US 2022/0158790) entire document is relevant. Refer to the sweeping (training) diagrams of Fig. 4-8.
Wang et al. (US 9,923,702) refer to Fig. 5-6. Fig 6 shows an interval between a beacon (control signal) 610 and a first NDP of the consecutive NDPs being greater than an interval between consecutive NDPs. A beamforming report poll (BFRP) trigger is not shown. A sector ID (beambook index) 627 is transmitted after the last NDP as shown.
Kim et al. (US 12,543,115) refer to at least Fig. 14, the interval between NDPA and a first of NDPs is SIFS, the interval between consecutive NDPs is SIFS and the interval between a feedback request and feedback is SIFS.
Contact Information
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SOPHIA VLAHOS
Examiner
Art Unit 2633
/SOPHIA VLAHOS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2633 07/24/2026
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