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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 filed on June 09, 2023 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on April 27, 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner and an initialed and dated copy of the Applicant’s IDS form 1449 is attached to the instant Office Action.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the description recited in Fig. 8A, 8B, 8C, 8D, 9A, 9B,10, 11 and 12 is not legible to read. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-9, and 11-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (EP 3972331 A1, hereinafter "Liu") in view of IEEE (IEEE P802.11az™/D7.0 September, 2022, hereinafter "IEEE") .
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses an apparatus of a station (STA), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry; and memory, wherein when operating as a responding STA (RSTA) for time-synchronization of a plurality of initiating STAs (ISTAs) in a time synchronized network (TSN) (Liu, Fig. 21 the apparatus may be an initiator station (i.e. ISTA) or a responder station (i.e. RSTA)), the processing circuitry is configured to:
a negotiation phase, whether each of the ISTAs that intend to participate in one or more measurement phases are requesting to be polled or are requesting not to be polled (Liu, [0051, 0054] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a trigger-based (trigger-based, TB) (i.e. to be polled) mode and FTM in a non-trigger-based (non-trigger-based, non-TB) (i.e. not to be polled) mode; the negotiation procedure of the FTM is applicable to both the FTM in the TB mode and the FTM in the non-TB mode);
wherein for the ISTAs that are requesting to be polled, perform a polling phase prior to performing each of the one or more measurement phases (Liu, [0053] the FTM in the TB mode may include three procedures: a negotiation procedure, a measurement procedure, and a result feedback procedure also see Fig. 2); and
wherein for the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled, refrain from performing a polling phase prior to performing each of the one or more measurement phases (Liu, [0060] the FTM in the non-TB mode may also include three procedures: a negotiation procedure, a measurement procedure, and a result feedback procedure also see Fig. 6).
Liu does not explicitly disclose determine during a negotiation phase, whether each of the ISTAs that intend to participate in one or more measurement phases are requesting to be polled or are requesting not to be polled.
IEEE from the same filed of endeavor discloses determine during a negotiation phase, whether each of the ISTAs that intend to participate in one or more measurement phases are requesting to be polled or are requesting not to be polled (IEEE, pg. 78-79 table 9-32h23fd sibelement ID 0-1 If the initiator and the responder successfully negotiate an FTM session, and the negotiated ranging protocol is non-TB, then the Non-TB Specific subelement is included in both the IFTMR frame, to describe the requested set of parameters that the initiator proposes to use, and in the IFTM frame; If the initiator and the responder successfully negotiate an FTM session, where the negotiated ranging protocol is TB, then the TB Specific subelement is included in both the IFTMR frame, to describe the requested set of parameters that the initiator proposes to use, and in the IFTM frame).
It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by Liu and ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by IEEE with a motivation to make this modification in order to improve the passive TB ranging exchanges (IEEE, pg. 192).
Regarding claim 2, Liu discloses wherein during the negotiation phase, for each of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled, the processing circuitry is configured to indicating when an ISTA that is requesting not to be polled is available for performing ranging measurements during a measurement phase (Liu, [0054] Each of the initial FTM request frame and the initial FTM measurement frame carries a ranging parameters element (ranging parameters element) field. …0 indicates Non-TB mode), and
wherein the processing circuitry is to schedule the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled for ranging (Liu, [0054] table 1 0 indicates Non-TB mode; The field is used to carry ranging information such as an available time period, capability information, and requirement information) but does not disclose determine a periodically occurring availability window.
IEEE from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the processing circuitry is to schedule the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled for ranging during the periodically occurring availability window (IEEE, pg. 74 The format of the Partial TSF Timer, Duration and Periodicity subfields when the Availability Window Broadcast Format subfield is set to 1 are the same as the formats of the subfields when the Availability Window Broadcast Format subfield is set to 0. The Passive TB (i.e. not to polled) Ranging (Passive TB Ranging Parameters Parameters subfield format is shown in Figure 9-788edf subfield format)).
It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by Liu and ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by IEEE with a motivation to make this modification in order to improve the passive TB ranging exchanges (IEEE, pg. 192).
Regarding claim 3, Liu discloses wherein during the negotiation phase, the processing circuitry is configured to:
decode a bit in a Ranging Parameters element to determine whether each ISTA is requesting to be polled or whether each ISTA is requesting not to be polled (Liu, [0054] table 1 Subelement identifier 0 indicates Non-TB mode and Subelement identifier 0 indicates Non-TB mode); decode an Availability Window field of a Ranging Subelements field of the Ranging Parameters element to determine the periodically occurring availability window for each of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, [0054] he initial FTM measurement frame carries a ranging parameters element (ranging parameters element) field. The field is used to carry ranging information such as an available time period, capability information, and requirement information, format of a subelement (subelement) in the TB mode).
Regarding claim 4, Liu discloses wherein the bit in the Ranging Parameters element is a bit in a Ranging Parameters field of the Ranging Parameters element (Liu, Fig. 4 format of a subelement (subelement) in the TB mode).
Regarding claim 5, Liu discloses wherein the bit in the Ranging Parameters element is a polling-mode bit in the Ranging Subelements field (Liu,Table 1 0: Non-TB-specific subelement; 1: TB-specific subelement).
Regarding claim 6, Liu discloses wherein the measurement phase is a measurement sounding phase and is followed by a measurement reporting phase (Liu, Fig. 6 ranging sounding frame is ranging measurement phase and is followed by measurement report feedback phase), wherein for each of the ISTAs that are requesting to be polled, an availability window includes the polling phase, the measurement sounding phase and the measurement reporting phase (Liu, [0057] the RSTA sends a TF ranging poll (TF ranging poll) frame to the ISTA in an idle time window of the RSTA, to notify the ISTA that measurement can be started), and wherein for each of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled, the periodically occurring availability window includes the measurement sounding phase and the measurement reporting phase and does not include the polling phase (Liu, [0060] the FTM in the non-TB mode may also include three procedures: a negotiation procedure, a measurement procedure, and a result feedback procedure. It should be noted that compared with the measurement procedure in the TB mode, the measurement procedure in the non-TB mode does not include a polling phase).
Regarding claim 7, Liu discloses wherein the processing circuitry is configured to configure the availability window for at least some of the ISTAs that are requesting to be polled to overlap with the periodically occurring availability window for at least some of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, [0054] the negotiation procedure of the FTM is applicable to both the FTM in the TB mode and the FTM in the non-TB mode).
Regarding claim 8, Liu discloses wherein for the measurement sounding phase for the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled, the processing circuitry of the RSTA is configured to: encode a ranging sounding trigger frame for transmission to the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, Fig. 7 the RSTA sends a TF ranging sounding (TF ranging sounding) frame to the ISTA, to indicate the ISTA to start measurement);
decode an initiating station to responding station (I2R) null data packet (NDP) from each of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, Fig. 7 the ISTA may reply to the RSTA with an NDP frame, and record a sending moment t1 of the NDP frame);
encode a ranging NDP announcement frame for transmission to the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, Fig. 7 RSTA sends NDPA to ISTA); and
encode a responding station to initiating station (R2I) NDP for transmission to each of the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled (Liu, Fig. 7the RSTA records a receiving moment t2 of the UL NDP frame, and continues to send a downlink (downlink, DL) ranging NDP announcement (NDP announcement, NDPA) frame, which may also be referred to as a DL ranging NDPA frame, to the ISTA after the SIFS passes), and
wherein the measurement reporting phase includes transmission of a link measurement report (LMR) frame from the RSTA to the ISTAs (Liu, [0057] the result feedback procedure is performed. In the procedure, the RSTA may send a location measurement report (location measurement report, LMR) to the ISTA).
Regarding claim 9, Liu discloses wherein the ISTAs that are requesting to be
polled comprise STAs that are not expected to participate in a measurement
exchange for time synchronization on a regular basis (Liu, [0051] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a non-trigger-based (non-trigger-based, non-TB) mode), and wherein the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled comprise STAs that are expected to participate in a measurement exchange for time synchronization on a regular basis (Liu, [0051] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a trigger-based (trigger-based, TB) mode).
Regarding claims 11-16, these claims recite "a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores instructions for execution by processing circuitry station (STA)" that disclose similar steps as recited by the method of claims 1-6, thus are rejected with the same rationale applied against claims 1-6 as presented above.
Regarding claim 17, Liu discloses an apparatus of a non-access point station (STA), the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry; and memory, wherein when operating as an initiating STA (ISTA) in a time-synchronized network (TSN) (Liu, Fig. 21 the apparatus may be an initiator station (i.e. ISTA) or a responder station (i.e. RSTA)), the processing circuitry is configured to:
during a negotiation phase with a responding STA (RSTA), encode a
ranging parameters element to indicate whether or not the ISTA requests to be
polled prior to performing each of one or more measurement phases (Liu, [0051, 0054] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a trigger-based (trigger-based, TB) mode and FTM in a non-trigger-based (non-trigger-based, non-TB) mode; the negotiation procedure of the FTM is applicable to both the FTM in the TB mode and the FTM in the non-TB mode);
wherein when the ISTA has indicated that polling is not requested, the
processing circuitry is further configured to: refrain from performing a polling phase prior to performing each of the one or more measurement phases (Liu, [0054] table 1 0 indicates Non-TB mode; The field is used to carry ranging information such as an available time period, capability information, and requirement information also see Fig. 6), and
wherein when the ISTA has indicated that polling is requested, the
processing circuitry is to configure the ISTA to perform a polling phase prior to
performing each of the one or more measurement phases (Liu, [0060] the FTM in the non-TB mode may also include three procedures: a negotiation procedure, a measurement procedure, and a result feedback procedure) but does not disclose encode the ranging parameters element to indicate information for determining a periodically occurring availability window.
IEEE from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the processing circuitry is to encode the ranging parameters element to indicate information fordetermining a periodically occurring availability window (IEEE, pg. 74 The format of the Partial TSF Timer, Duration and Periodicity subfields when the Availability Window Broadcast Format subfield is set to 1 are the same as the formats of the subfields when the Availability Window Broadcast Format subfield is set to 0. The Passive TB Ranging (Passive TB Ranging Parameters Parameters subfield format is shown in Figure 9-788edf subfield format)).
It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by Liu and ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by IEEE with a motivation to make this modification in order to improve the passive TB ranging exchanges (IEEE, pg. 192).
Regarding claim 18, Liu discloses wherein when the ISTA has indicated that
polling is not requested, the processing circuitry is to configure the ISTA to remain
available for performing measurements during the periodically occurring
availability window (Liu, [0054] table 1 0 indicates Non-TB mode;The field is used to carry ranging information such as an available time period, capability information, and requirement information).
Regarding claim 19, Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to synchronize a clock of the ISTA based on measurement results determined from the one or more measurement phases.
IEEE from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to synchronize a clock of the ISTA based on measurement results determined from the one or more measurement phases (IEEE, Figure 9-896 FTM Synchronization information and pg. 144 The FTM procedure can also be used to synchronize a local clock between STAs).
It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by Liu and ranging subelement IDs for ranging parameters disclosed by IEEE with a motivation to make this modification in order to improve the passive TB ranging exchanges (IEEE, pg. 192).
Regarding claim 20, Liu discloses wherein the processing circuitry is to encode
the ranging parameters element to indicate that the ISTA is requesting not to be
polled prior to performing each of one or more measurement phases when the ISTA
is expected to participate in a measurement exchange for time synchronization on a
regular basis (Liu, [0051] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a non-trigger-based (non-trigger-based, non-TB) mode), and wherein the processing circuitry is to encode the ranging parameters element to indicate that the ISTA is requesting to be polled prior to performing each of one or more measurement phases when the ISTA is not expected to participate in a measurement exchange for time synchronization on a regular basis (Liu, [0051] The FTM defined in the Wi-Fi standard 802.11az may include FTM in a trigger-based (trigger-based, TB) mode).
Claim 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Liu et al. (EP 3972331 A1, hereinafter "Liu") in view of IEEE (IEEE P802.11az™/D7.0 September, 2022, hereinafter "IEEE") as applied to claim above, and further in view of Ji et al. (US 2009/0147768 A1, hereinafter "Ji").
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses wherein the ISTAs that are requesting to be polled comprise STAs and wherein the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled comprise STAs but does not discloses STAs that are power constrained requiring less accurate time synchronization.
Ji from the same field of endeavor discloses wherein the ISTAs that are requesting to be polled comprise STAs that are power constrained requiring less accurate time synchronization, and wherein the ISTAs that are requesting not to be polled comprise STAs that are non-power constrained requiring more accurate time synchronization (Ji, [0034] Additional parameters include quality of service (QoS) capability and power constraint. To increase the probability that the STAs within the BSS receive the beacon, the AP transmits the beacon in a contention-free mode, during which it bypasses the CSMA/CA protocol. In an infrastructure BSS, one mechanism for enforcing QoS is polling. The AP acts as master controller for the BSS. In the IEEE 802.11 standards, the master controller is referred to as the point coordinator (PC). Each STA transmits only when it is polled ).
It would have been obvious for one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have to include the teachings of Ji’s system for STA capability into Liu’s ranging measurement as modified by IEEE with a motivation to make this modification in order to provide advantages both for network provisioning and for customer services (Ji, [0003]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUNA WEISSBERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-3315. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:30pm.
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/LUNA WEISSBERGER/Examiner, Art Unit 2415
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