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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “member STAs of restricted-target restricted-target wake time (R-TWT) service periods”. 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 23-25 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. Regarding claim 23, the claim states: “the AP is behaving as the TXOP holder insider and outside the TXOP” which is unclear. The AP behaving as the TXOP holder outside the TXOP is unbounded, meaning the AP behaves as the TXOP holder at all times (inside a TXOP period and outside a TXOP period, meaning the AP always behaves as the TXOP holder at all times).
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.
Claims 23-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Naik et al (US 2023/0199641, hereinafter Naik), in view of Ajami et al (US 2024/0365400, hereinafter Ajami), in view of Chu et al (US 2017/0294992, hereinafter Chu).
Regarding claim 10, Naik discloses an apparatus (Station, Fig. 2) for wireless communication in a network, the apparatus comprising: (a) a wireless communication circuit, performing transmission of frames between the medium access control (MAC) layers of an IEEE 802.11 network as a wireless station (STA) which is a separate STA or as a STA in a multiple-link device (MLD), and operating as either a regular STA or an Access Point (AP) STA, for wirelessly communicating with other wireless stations (STAs) using a carrier sense for random channel access on all the links (transmitting MAC packets, Para [0084], station with circuitry and transceiver, Para [0044], WLAN operating in accordance with IEE 802.11, Para [0002], channel sensing operation, Para [0061] for channel access); (b) a processor coupled to said wireless communication circuit for operating on the WLAN (station with processor, Para [0044] and WLAN); (c) a non-transitory memory storing instructions executable by the processor for communicating with other STAs (computer readable medium storing instructions, Para [0044]); and (d) wherein said instructions, when executed by the processor, perform steps of a wireless communications protocol for said wireless communication circuit in reserving channel resources for frame exchanges of latency sensitive traffic with member STAs of the restricted-target wake time (R-TWT) service periods (SPs) (exchanging latency-sensitive data traffic, Para [0005], restricted target wake time allocated for latency-sensitive traffic, Para [0032]), comprising: (i) AP obtains a TXOP which is overlapped with an R-TWT SP wherein said TXOP is obtained by the AP by contending for a channel and AP behaves as the TXOP holder during the TXOP (AP acquires a DL TXOP, Para [0077], before the start of the R-TWT, where the TXOP overlaps the R-TWT, Fig. 6a, AP is the TXOP holder, Para [0034]); (ii) determining that the AP is performing a frame exchange during the R-TWT SP, wherein the AP prioritizes frame exchanges of latency sensitive traffic during the R-TWT SP (AP transmitting latency-sensitive data during the r-TWT SP, Fig. 6b, r-TWT is for performing latency-sensitive traffic and therefore the priority, Para [0032], protect latency-sensitive communication, Para [0034]); but does not disclose using a carrier sense multiple access/collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) mechanism on a wireless local area network (WLAN) in which enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) is utilized for random channel access on all the links nor explicit the AP follows EDCA TXOP rules during TXOP time outside the R-TWT SP. Ajami discloses stations and APs can contend with each other using carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) techniques, Para [0046] and using enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA) for random channel access, Para [0047], obvious to one of ordinary skill EDCA rules will be followed during the TXOP period. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Ajami in the system of Naik in order to increase likelihood that low-latency data will gain access to shared medium during contention in order to satisfy latency requirements; nor explicitly discloses the TXOP being shared by another STA which has contended for and gain channel access. Chu discloses a client station owns the TXOP but can release and transfer ownership of the TXOP to the AP, Para [0069], the AP would have ownership for the remaining duration of the TXOP, Para [0076], obvious variation the client can transfer ownership before the start of the r-TWT. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to utilize the techniques taught by Chu in the system of Naik in view of Ajami in order to more efficiently utilize the composite OFDM channel and less waste of TXOP opportunities.
Regarding claim 24, Naik discloses the apparatus of claim 23, further comprising repeating the step of determining if the AP is performing a frame exchange during the R-TWT SP, wherein the AP prioritizes frame exchange of latency sensitive traffic during the R-TWT SP, other the AP follows EDCA TXOP rules during the TXOP time outside the R-TWT SP, until the TXOP ends (obvious to one of ordinary skill the steps can be repeated).
Regarding claim 25, Naik discloses the apparatus of claim 23, wherein under the condition that the TXOP is obtained by a channel contention of the AP, then the TXOP is not limited by the TXOP limit of a primary access category (AC) (the limitations is conditional).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8, 10 and 14-22 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/12/2025 have been fully considered but they are not entirely persuasive. Applicant adds new claims and cites support in the specification for the new claims. Applicant does not appear to have an argument over the new claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEVIN CUNNINGHAM whose telephone number is (571) 272-1765. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 7:30-18:00 (EST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Vu can be reached on (571) 272-3155. The fax number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN M CUNNINGHAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2461