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 May 26, 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because Fig. 9 contains typographical error. In Fig. 9, the collocated AP MLD1 includes AP1, AP2, and AP2. The second AP2 should be replaced with AP3.
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.
Specification
The lengthy specification 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.
Claim Objections
Claims 16-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding independent claim 16 line 12, the limitation “whether the second AP is to added or deleted from an multi-link” should be replaced with ---whether the second AP is to be added or deleted from a multi-link---.
Claims 17-20 depend on independent claim 16 and, thus, are objected to for the same reason as independent claim 16.
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.
Claim 11 is 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 11 line 3, the limitation “AP2” is vague and indefinite because it is unclear whether AP2 refers to the first AP, the second AP, or another AP.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 and 12-15 allowed.
Claim 11 is currently rejected but would be allowable if rewritten 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 and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 16-20 are currently objected to but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the claim objection, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
A relevant prior art reference, U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0064836 (Shafin et al.), discloses multi-link reconfiguration, where an AP MLD announces a removal of any affiliated AP through a Reconfiguration Multi-Link element, where, for each affiliated AP that the AP MLD intends to remove, the Reconfiguration Multi-Link element includes a per-STA Profile sub-element with the subfields of the Per-STA Control field set as follows: The Link ID subfield shall identify the AP, the Complete Profile subfield shall be set to 0, the Delete Timer Present subfield shall be set to 1, and the Delete Timer subfield shall be set to the number of target beacon transmission times (TBTTs) of that affiliated AP before it is removed (see at least paragraphs 36-40).
A relevant prior art reference, U.S. Pub. No. 2025/0374028 (Luo et al.), discloses a logical AP MLD composed of multiple non-collocated APs, where a non-AP MLD may transmit a multi-link operation update request frame, where a reconfiguration multi-link element includes N link information fields and each link information field includes a station control field including an operation update type field used for indicating an addition or a deletion of a link (see at least paragraphs 119-120).
A relevant prior art reference, U.S. Pub. No. 2026/0067962 (Naik et al.), discloses link management for non-collocated (NC) multi-link devices using an enhanced multi-link (EML) control subfield that includes an AP MLD ID of the NC AP MLD, a NC link ID present field that provides an indication a NC link ID field is present in the EML control subfield, a NC Link ID field including an AP MLD ID field and a link ID field that indicates one or more particular links at the identified NC AP MLD (see at least Figs. 4-8 and paragraphs 73-76).
However, the prior art of record, alone or in combination, fails to teach or render obvious the claimed invention as a whole, as arranged in independent claims 1, 14, and 16, and the dependent claims thereof. Specifically, the prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious at least the following claim features:
as recited in claim 1 and similarly recited in claims 14 and 16, the link reconfiguration notify frame comprising a reconfiguration multilink element, the reconfiguration multilink element comprising a per-station (STA) subelement (per-STA subelement), the per-STA subelement comprising an indication of a non-collocated link of a second AP of the non-collocated AP MLD and an operation update type subfield, the operation update type subfield indicating whether the second AP is to be added or deleted.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pub. No. 2024/0064836 (Shafin et al.) discloses multi-link reconfiguration.
U.S. Pub. No. 2025/0374028 (Luo et al.) discloses a multi-link operation update request.
U.S. Pub. No. 2026/0067962 (Naik et al.) discloses link management for non-collocated (NC) multi-link devices.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Pawaris Sinkantarakorn whose telephone number is (571)270-1424. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:00pm.
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, Hadi Armouche can be reached at (571) 270-3618. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PAO SINKANTARAKORN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2409
09/08/2026
Prosecution Insights