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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 09/10/2025 11/27/2024 05/17/2024 05/26/2023 05/26/2023, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The lengthy specification, 71 pages, has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following:
Page 7, [50] FIG. 16 and FIG. 17; Page 8, [52] FIG. 19 and FIG. 20, [55] FIG. 23 and FIG. 24, [58] FIG. 27 and FIG. 28. The description of several Figures is identical, which is improper. Each Figure needs to be described individually and uniquely, and, the descriptions of Figures may not be identical, they need to be different, from one another.
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 1-24 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 9 and Claim 13, line 7: “STA” needs to be defined, spelled out, in the Claim.
Claim 11 and Claim 23: “NSTR” needs to be defined, spelled out, in the Claim.
Dependent Claims do not cure the deficiency of their independent Claims.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 non-obviousness.
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 1-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SEOK et al., "UL Sync Channel Access Procedure", IEEE 802.1 1-20/1730r2, November 2, 2020, hereinafter IEEE’1730r2, in view of SEOK et al., "Error Recovery in Synchronous Multiple Frame Transmission", IEEE 802.1 1-20/1278r0, October 20, 2020, hereinafter IEEE’1278r0.
Claim 1. IEEE’1730r2 teaches a non-access point (AP) multi-link device (MILD) of a wireless communication system, the non-AP MLD (slide 3) comprising: a communication module; and a processor configured to control the communication module, wherein the processor (Examiner takes Official Notice that a processor configured to control a communication module, is well known, in the art) is configured to: perform a backoff procedure to perform uplink transmission through multiple links of the non-AP MLD, the backoff procedure being individually performed through each of a first link of a first STA included in the non-AP MLD and a second link of a second STA included therein, the backoff procedure in the first link being performed using a first backoff counter, the backoff procedure in the second link being performed using a second backoff counter (slide 2); and simultaneously perform the uplink transmission to an AP MILD through each of the first link and the second link, and in a case where the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter have both a value of “0”, when a transmission time point of the uplink transmission in the first link is a slot boundary of a first slot that is next to a slot in which the first backoff counter is “0”, the uplink transmission in the second link is performed within a predetermined time from the transmission time point of the first link (slides 4-6).
IEEE’1730r2 does not explicitly teach the combination of the underlined feature, above.
IEEE’1730r2 does not explicitly teach the combination of these features: predetermined.
The missing elements are disclosed by IEEE’1278r0 (Slides 8, 10-11, 4 μs).
(AIA ) 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, because: e.g., see Ambede (US 20240349377 A1) ([0008] a set of transmission rules known as ‘Start time sync PPDUs medium access’ may be defined for a NSTR MLD (applicable for both an AP MLD as well as a non-AP MLD) that attempts synchronous transmissions of PPDUs over a NSTR link pair. Such a NSTR MLD contending for the wireless medium to become a transmit opportunity (TXOP) holder and that aligns the start times of the PPDUs scheduled for transmission on more than one link shall ensure that the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) count down procedure is completed in all the links. It is specified that a STA that is affiliated with a NSTR MLD shall follow the channel access procedure: [0009] The STA may initiate transmission on a link when the medium is idle and one of the following conditions is met: [0010] The backoff counter of the STA reaches zero on a slot boundary of that link. [0011] The backoff counter of the STA is already zero, and the backoff counter of another STA of the affiliated MLD reaches zero on a slot boundary of the link that the other STA operates). Also see the references under the Conclusion section, below.
Therefore, the combination of references, discloses the combination of the claimed limitations.
Claim 2. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MILD of claim 1, wherein, in a case where the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter are both “0”, a transmission time point of the uplink transmission in the second link is adjusted to be included in the predetermined time from the slot boundary of the first slot (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6).
Claim 3. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MILD of claim 2, wherein, in a case where the first backoff counter is “0” and the second backoff counter is “0”, the slot boundary of the first slot does not match a slot boundary of a second slot that is next to a slot in which the second backoff counter of the second link is “0”, and the slot boundary of the second slot is not included in the predetermined time (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6, e.g. slide 5).
Claim 4. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MILD of claim 1, wherein, in a case where one backoff counter among the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter has reached “0” earlier than a remaining backoff counter, a link using the one backoff counter among the first link and the second link does not perform the uplink transmission, and maintains the one backoff counter at “0” until the remaining backoff counter reaches “0” (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6).
Claim 5. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MILD of claim 1, wherein, in a case where one backoff counter among the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter has reached “0” earlier than a remaining backoff counter, if the slot boundary of the first slot of the first link does not match a slot boundary of a second slot that is next to a slot in which the second backoff counter of the second link is “0” when the remaining backoff counter reaches “0”, a transmission time point of the uplink transmission in the second link is adjusted to be positioned before or after the slot boundary of the second slot so as to be included in the predetermined time from the slot boundary of the first slot (In IEEE’1278r0 Slide 8, 10-11, 4 μs).
Compact notation has been utilized above, wherein, when a feature is, partly, attributed to a reference, other than the primary reference, the primary reference does not explicitly disclose the combination of the feature.
The motivation to combine references, is the same as, the parent claim.
Claim 6. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 5, wherein, in a case where the slot boundary of the second slot is positioned before or after the slot boundary of the first slot in a time axis, the transmission time point of the second link is delayed or advanced from the slot boundary of the first slot by a particular time (In IEEE’1278r0 Slide 8, 10-11, 4 μs).
Compact notation has been utilized above, wherein, when a feature is, partly, attributed to a reference, other than the primary reference, the primary reference does not explicitly disclose the combination of the feature.
The motivation to combine references, is the same as, the parent claim.
Claim 7. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 6, wherein a maximum value of the predetermined time is 4 μs (In IEEE’1278r0 Slide 8, 10-11, 4 μs).
Compact notation has been utilized above, wherein, when a feature is, partly, attributed to a reference, other than the primary reference, the primary reference does not explicitly disclose the combination of the feature.
The motivation to combine references, is the same as, the parent claim.
Claim 8. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 7, wherein the 4 μs is a change time required to perform the uplink transmission from a channel access procedure (In IEEE’1278r0 Slide 8, 10-11, 4 μs).
Compact notation has been utilized above, wherein, when a feature is, partly, attributed to a reference, other than the primary reference, the primary reference does not explicitly disclose the combination of the feature.
The motivation to combine references, is the same as, the parent claim.
Claim 9. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to perform channel sensing up to the transmission time point of the second link, and the transmission time point of the second link does not match the slot boundary of the second slot of the second link (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6).
Claim 10. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the uplink transmission is performed in slots next to slots in which the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter have reached “0” (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6).
Claim 11. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the first link and the second link are an NSTR link pair that does not support simultaneous transmit or receive (STR) (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 3-6).
Claim 12. IEEE’1730r2 in view of IEEE’1278r0 teaches the non-AP MLD of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform sensing to determine whether a channel is idle in each of the first link and the second link, and the first backoff counter and the second backoff counter are decreased when the first link and the second link are in an idle state, respectively (In IEEE’1730r2, slides 4-6).
Claims 13-24 are rejected substantially the same as the corresponding Claims 1-12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and Claims:
HWANG (US 20230040910 A1)
Abstract: operating of a first communication node comprises: transmitting a first frame to a second communication node through a first link from among multi-links; receiving, from the second communication node, a response frame for the first frame through the first link; checking a channel occupancy time in a second link from among the multi-links on the basis of first information included in the response frame; and performing a sensing operation in a preset section after the end of the channel occupancy time in the second link.
Naribole (US 20210076398 A1)
Abstract: providing multi-link operation channel access in a multi-link network includes initiating a first backoff countdown and a second backoff countdown associated with a first link and a second link of the multi-link network, respectively, and in response to the first backoff countdown reaching zero, determining whether the second backoff countdown is less than or equal to an aggregation threshold, and in response to determining that the second backoff countdown is less than or equal to the aggregation threshold, transmitting a first frame and a second frame on the first and second links.
KIM (US 20190253963 A1)
Abstract: a wireless communication method for power saving and a wireless communication terminal, to a wireless communication method for conducting data transmission/reception of each terminal in a high density environment and a wireless communication terminal. a wireless communication method for a terminal including receiving a distributed access group parameter for data transmission/reception by a group unit, wherein the distributed access group parameter comprises information about a number of groups assigned to a corresponding BSS, obtaining group information about the terminal based on the distributed access group parameter, and performing data transmission based on the obtained group information, and a wireless communication terminal.
AHN (US 20180254993 A1)
Abstract: selects an access category for transmitting a trigger frame which solicits an uplink multi-user transmission, performs a backoff procedure for transmitting the trigger frame based on the selected access category, and transmits the trigger frame when a backoff counter of the backoff procedure expires.
AMBEDE (US 20240349377 A1)
[0008] Additionally, a set of transmission rules known as ‘Start time sync PPDUs medium access’ may be defined for a NSTR MLD (applicable for both an AP MLD as well as a non-AP MLD) that attempts synchronous transmissions of PPDUs over a NSTR link pair. Such a NSTR MLD contending for the wireless medium to become a transmit opportunity (TXOP) holder and that aligns the start times of the PPDUs scheduled for transmission on more than one link shall ensure that the Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) count down procedure is completed in all the links. It is specified that a STA that is affiliated with a NSTR MLD shall follow the channel access procedure described below: [0009] The STA may initiate transmission on a link when the medium is idle and one of the following conditions is met: [0010] The backoff counter of the STA reaches zero on a slot boundary of that link. [0011] The backoff counter of the STA is already zero, and the backoff counter of another STA of the affiliated MLD reaches zero on a slot boundary of the link that the other STA operates.
Lu (US 20220338253 A1)
[0072] FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary synchronous transmission of a downlink TXOP initiated by an NSTR AP MLD 1005 where a non-initial frame exchange fails and error recovery is performed on the secondary link according to embodiments of the present invention. AP1 1025 and AP2 1030 are affiliated with the same NSTR AP MLD 1005 (TXOP initiators). STA1 1015 and STA2 1020 are affiliated with the same NSTR non-AP MLD 1010 (TXOP responders). In the example of FIG. 10, AP1 1025 and AP2 1030 obtain synchronous TXOPs on the primary and secondary link. A non-initial frame exchange 1050 (PPDU2+BA2) of AP2 1030 fails when a “PHY-RXSTART.indication” primitive is not received or detected after the timeout interval PIFS on the secondary link. AP1 1025 may continue the existing TXOP regardless the error status on the secondary link, and AP2 1030 may perform error recovery by invoking a backoff procedure 1055 and initiate the (re)transmission within the existing TXOP on the secondary link aligning with the start time of the transmission of PPDU3 1060 on the primary link when the medium is idle and one of the following conditions is met: [0073] 1. The backoff counter 1055 of AP2 1030 reaches zero on a slot boundary of the secondary link; [0074] 2. The backoff counter 1055 of AP2 1030 is already zero and AP2 1030 chooses to not transmit and keep the backoff counter at zero.
Chu (US 20220150958 A1)
[0049] In conventional backoff operations, a STA of an NSTR MLD (or an AP of an NSTR MLD) may follow channel access procedures when simultaneously transmitting PPDUs on multiple links. In one embodiment, a STA of an NSTR MLD (or an AP of an NSTR MLD) may initiate transmission on a link when a medium is idle and either (i) a backoff counter of the STA of the NSTR MLD (or the AP of the NSTR MLD) becomes zero on a slot boundary of a backoff operation, or (ii) the backoff counter of the STA of the NSTR MLD (or the AP of the NSTR MLD) is already zero and a backoff counter of another STA (or AP) associated with the NSTR MLD becomes zero on a slot boundary of a backoff operation. In another embodiment, when a backoff counter of a STA of an NSTR MLD becomes zero, the STA may choose to not transmit and to keep the backoff counter at zero. In yet another embodiment, if a backoff counter of a STA of an NSTR MLD related to an AC has already become zero, the STA may perform a new backoff operation where a CW[AC] and a Quality of Service (QoS) Short Retry Counter (QSRC) of the AC (QSRC[AC]) are unchanged. Thus, although backoff operations for simultaneous transmissions on multiple links may be defined, backoff operations for simultaneous transmissions by an NSTR MLD may also need to be defined for when multiple backoff counters related to multiple ACs on a non-AP STA in a link are zero.
WU (US 20230074050 A1)
[0011] method for performing data transmitting and receiving according to the parameter EHT Capability and its subfields as well as the parameter EHT Operation and its subfields includes: setting local information according to the parameter EHT Capability and its subfields as well as the parameter EHT Operation and its subfields, and performing data transmitting and receiving according to the local information, herein the local information contains parameters Operating mode for ML, AP ML capability, and ML Operating set, the AP ML capability indicates that whether the network access device supports a multi-link operation or not, the Operating mode for ML indicates a multi-link mode that the network access device supports, and ML Operating set indicates an available link.
Cariou (US 20210321450 A1)
Abstract: channel access for multi-link devices (MLDs). A MLD may identify a first backoff count associated with a first enhanced distributed channel access function (EDCAF) for a first communication link used by the MLD; identify a second backoff count associated with a second EDCAF for a second communication link used by the MLD, the first backoff count less than the second backoff count; determine a time period after that the first backoff count reaches zero and during which to refrain from transmitting using the first communication link, the time period based on the second backoff count; determine that the first communication link transitioned from an idle state to a busy state during the time period; and generate a third backoff count associated with the first EDCAF based on the first communication link transitioning to the busy state during the time period.
FIG. 2A - FIG. 2D, FIG. 3
[0025] a STA that is counting down its back off can pause or extend its backoff counter value at some value so as to have multiple STAs of a same MLD transmit simultaneously on both links.
[0029] In one or more embodiments, in 802.11be EDCA, to align the backoff counters of two STAs of a same MLD, while the STA is counting down its backoff counter (e.g., before the backoff counter reaches zero), the STA may increase the backoff count for an EDCAF to match or be smaller than a non-zero value of a second backoff count used by another STA of the same MLD. In this manner, the increase of a backoff counter to align two backoff counters used by different channels may occur during the backoff count, prior to expiration of the backoff count.
Seok (US 20210315025 A1)
Abstract: automatically synchronizing TXOPs for a multi-link device (MLD) to improve wireless network performance and prevent IDC. The process is performed by a multi-link device performing a multi-link operation, and the multi-link device can act as a wireless access point or a wireless station. The MLD includes a first wireless station (STA) associated with a first wireless link and a second wireless STA associated with a second wireless link. The MLD can include more wireless STAs for communicating over different wireless links.
[0032] FIG. 6 transmission timing diagram of an MLD (e.g., multi-link AP or multi-link STA) that synchronizes TXOPs to perform synchronous multi-link transmission.
[0034] FIG. 8 transmission timing diagram of an MLD for transmitting MU-RTS frames including padding fields used to align CTS frame reception in a wireless network.
[0036] FIG. 10 MLD transmission timing diagram for synchronous TXOP where an STA delays transmission until another STA of the MLD is ready to transmit.
[0039] FIG. 13 MLD transmission timing diagram depicting slot boundaries of multiple wireless links of an MLD that are not synchronized, where an STA of the MLD having a back-off counter that has already reached 0 delays initiation of a frame exchange sequence until another STA of the MLD also obtains a TXOP.
Cariou (US 20210251006 A1)
Abstract: aligned channel access. A device may perform a first backoff countdown on a first link associated with a first station device (STA) of the device, wherein the device is a multi-link device (MLD). The device may detect a second backoff countdown associated with a second STA of the MLD after the first backoff countdown reaches zero. The device may determine to hold the first backoff countdown at zero based on the value of the second backoff countdown. The device may transmit in synchronization on the first link and on the second link from the first STA and the second STA respectively based on holding the first backoff countdown at zero.
FIG. 4 - FIG. 5
[0017] In an MLD, there are multiple links that the MLD can transmit and receive data. For example, if an MLD comprises two Wi-Fi devices and cited (e.g., to STAs), one of these two STAs may transmit on 2.4 GHz and the other may transmit on 5 GHz simultaneously. In that scenario, when the first STA transmit on its link, energy of the transmission may leak into the length of the second STA. In that sense, if both are transmitting in a frequency band that is close to each other, this introduces interference in each other's links. One STA may think its link is busy due to that interference. In that case, that STA may not be able to contend for channel access in order to transmit its data. This could happen on the transmit or receive chain of the STA.
[0026] an aligned channel access system may facilitate synchronizing transmissions on multiple links within an MLD, such that each STA of the MLD transmits in synchronization with another STA on separate links. For example, if one of these STAs wins access to a channel to transmit on its link, that STA may not transmit right away but instead wait for the second STA's backoff countdown reaches zero—indicating that the second STA can now transmit on its link—so that both STAs can transmit simultaneously. In that case, one STA has to check the other STA's status before starting its own transmission. For example, one STA may determine that the other STA is performing a backoff countdown or it may determine how large is the backoff count down is and compare it to a threshold value before deciding to wait or go ahead and transmit. For example, if the backoff countdown is too large, the first STA may still transmit without waiting for the second STA. However, if the first STA determines that the backoff countdown is below the threshold value, the first STA made then determined to wait until the second STA has countdown to zero so that they can both transmit simultaneously. It should be understood that each STA will have its own backoff countdown value that may be different from each other.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOOMAN HOUSHMAND whose telephone number is (571)270-1817. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5 PT. 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, AYMAN ABAZA can be reached at (571)270-0422. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/H.H/Examiner, Art Unit 2465
/AYMAN A ABAZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2465