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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments regarding the 103 rejection have been considered and they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, page 11,
As such, Gross is concerned with a TDMA frame. As shown in Fig. 2 of Gross, a person skilled in the art would have understood that each transmission subframe (TSF) of Gross includes a downlink slot (DS) designated for downlink data packets DDP and several uplink slots (US1 - US4) designated for uplink data packets UDP. A person skilled in the art would have understood that the roles of DS and US1-US4 are not interchangeable in the TSFs. Therefore, Gross does not disclose or teach at least one of the sub-event time slots is used as the reverse link time slot in a first isochronous interval and used as the forward link time slot in a second isochronous interval, wherein the second isochronous interval is different than the first isochronous interval recited in claim 15.
The examiner respectfully disagrees. Fig. 2 is only one example; the applicant should fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention. Goss clearly teaches the amended limitation: at least one of the sub-event time slots is used as the reverse link time slot in a first isochronous interval and used as the forward link time slot in a second isochronous interval, wherein the second isochronous interval is different than the first isochronous interval (Abstract, a transmission subframe (TSF) comprises at least one (can be more than one) downlink slot (DS) for transmission of downlink data packets (DDP) from the master node (MN) to the slave nodes and at least one uplink slot (US1-US4) for transmission of uplink data packets (UDP); fig. 2 4, [0044][0053], an auxiliary subframe can be used for uplink or downlink transmission, respectively, in two different TSF/isochronous intervals, depending on the successful reception of the downlink signal or uplink signals. For example, if at the current TSF, if the US1 and US3 do not receive the downlink signal successfully, the master node schedules the retransmission of the downlink signal in the two Auxiliary slots (the control signals are broadcast in the control slot Sjsp). In the next TSF, if the two uplink signals from US1 and US2 are not successfully transmitted, the master nodes schedules the retransmission of the uplink signals in the auxiliary slots in the next TSF. That is, the auxiliary slots in one TSF are used for downlink transmission and are used for uplink transmission in another TSF, [0064], adjust the number of re-transmission slots; [0072], in case that not all slots RT in the auxiliary subframe ASF are required for a re-transmission, the spare slots may be filled with best effort data. Here, the best effort data can be downlink or uplink transmissions).
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 8-17, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gross (US 20220167377) in view of Linsky (US 20120020258).
Regarding claim 15, Gross discloses an audio broadcasting device being a master device communicating with at least one slave device based on a plurality of isochronous intervals each comprising a plurality of sub-event time slots (abstract, [0004][0007], time-division multiple access system consisting of isochronous intervals and slots), wherein the master device is to
receive a first audio data packet broadcast by a target slave device based on a reverse link in one or more reverse link time slots (figs. 2, 6, a transceiver, [0007][0021], [0044],[0073], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data, here, uplink link is same as reverse link), the target slave device being one of the at least one slave device that has been allowed by the master device to access the reverse link ([0007][0020], at least two slave nodes; the master allocates uplink slots for the slave nodes or allowed the slave nodes to access), one or more of the sub-event time slots in the isochronous interval being used as the one or more reverse link time slots, when the reverse link is enabled (fig. 2, [0044], scheduled or enabled uplink slots);
broadcast a second audio data packet based on a forward link in one or more forward link time slots (figs. 2, 6, [0007][0044][0073], the master node sends downlink data packets to all or at least a subset of the slave nodes during the downlink slot, here, downlink is same as forward link), one or more of the sub-event time slots in the isochronous interval being used as one or more forward link time slots when the forward link is enabled ([0007][0044], fig. 2), wherein at least one of the sub-event time slots is used as the reverse link time slot in a first isochronous interval and used as the forward link time slot in a second isochronous interval, wherein the second isochronous interval is different than the first isochronous interval (Abstract, a transmission subframe (TSF) comprises at least one downlink slot (DS) for transmission of downlink data packets (DDP) from the master node (MN) to the slave nodes and at least one uplink slot (US1-US4) for transmission of uplink data packets (UDP); fig. 2 4, [0044][0053], auxiliary subframe can be used for uplink or downlink transmission, respectively in two different isochronous intervals, depending on the successful reception of the downlink signal or uplink signals. For example, if at the current TSF, if the US1 and US3 do not receive the downlink signal successfully, the master node schedules the retransmission of the downlink signal in the two Auxiliary slots (the control signals are broadcast in the control slot Sjsp). In the next TSF, if the two uplink signals from US1 and US2 not successful, the master nodes schedules the retransmission of the uplink signals in the auxiliary slots in the next TSF. That is, the auxiliary slots in one TSF are used for downlink transmission and are used for uplink transmission in another TSF, [0064], adjust the number of re-transmission slots; [0072], in case that not all slots RT in the auxiliary subframe ASF are required for a re-transmission, the spare slots may be filled with best effort data. Here, the best effort data can be downlink or uplink transmissions).
Gross only discloses the master and the slaves transmit data, and in general, the data can include voice or audio or video data. To further clarify and support this feature, Linsky discloses a data can be a voice, or video or packet data (Linsky, [0005], wireless communication networks are widely deployed to provide various communication services such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and the like).
Linsky also discloses a time division duplex frame structure which consists of a number downlink and uplink slots for communications between the master and slave nodes (Linsky, [0056]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of effective filing to combine the teachings of exchanging data between master and slave nodes as given by Gross with the teachings of supporting audio data in time division duplex system given by Linsky. The motivation for doing so would have been to increase system throughput and support audio data by using time division duplex system (Linsky, [0010-012]).
Claims 1, 9 are rejected similarly as claim 15.
Regarding claims 16, 2, Gross and Linsky disclose the audio broadcasting device according to claim 15, wherein the isochronous interval further comprises a synchronization time slot (Gross, fig. 2, [0062], Sjsp, to allow the nodes to synchronize their transmission relative to one another. Linsky, [0033]), the master device is further to:
broadcaster a synchronization information in the synchronization time slot, wherein the synchronization information is configured to synchronize the slave device with the master device (Gross, fig. 2, [0062], Sjsp, to allow the nodes to synchronize their transmission relative to one another, including the master node; Linsky, [0033][0063]).
Regarding claim 17, 3, Gross and Linsky disclose the audio broadcasting device according to claim 15, wherein the isochronous interval further comprises a forward control time slot and a reverse control time slot (Gross, fig. 4, [0068][0071], two control slots, one for downlink or forward link, one for reverse link);
the master device is further to:
broadcast a first control data packet in the forward control time slot and receiving a second control data packet sent by at least one of the slave devices in the reverse control time slot by the master device (Gross, figs. 4, 6, [0068-71], in the second control slot Sjsp2, the re-transmission of the re-transmission schedule RTS or the entire control packet JSP (see step 135 in FIG. 5) is then carried out by the r slave node; steps 130-135);
wherein the first control data packet is configured to trigger at least one of the slave devices to perform an operation of accessing the reverse link (Gross, [0071], the control packet is used for slave nodes to re-transmit or an access operation), and
the second control data packet is configured for the slave device to request access to the reverse link (Gross, [0071], the control packet is used for slave nodes to re-transmit or an access the reverse link).
Regarding claim 19, 5, Gross and Linsky disclose the audio broadcasting device according to claim 15, wherein the master device is further to:
enable the forward link or the reverse link and broadcast (Gross, [0007][0020], the master allocates uplink and downlink slots for the slave nodes or enables the downlink or uplinks).
Regarding claim 20, 6, Gross and Linsky disclose the audio broadcasting device according to claim 15, wherein a packet header of the second audio data packet comprises a first region for indicating that the forward link or the reverse link is enabled; the master device broadcasts the second audio data packet comprising the first region based on the forward link in the forward link time slot to notify the slave device that the reverse link or the forward link is enabled (Gross, [0007][0020], the master allocates uplink and downlink slots for the slave nodes or enables the downlink or uplinks).
Regarding claims 8, 14, Gross and Linsky disclose the method according to claim 1, wherein an isochronous interval comprises N subevent
time slots, N is a positive integer (Gross, [0044], fig. 2);
first X sub-event time slots in the N sub-event time slots within one isochronous interval are used as the forward link time slots and last N-X sub-event time slots in the N sub-event time slots within the one isochronous interval are used as the reverse link time slots, the master device switches to the reverse link to receive the first audio data packet broadcast by the target slave device based on the reverse link after broadcasting the second audio data packet based on the forward link in the first X sub-event time slots, when the reverse link is enabled, wherein X is a positive integer less than N (Linsky, fig. 5, [0052-53], first TDD structure 0, there are 5 forwarding links, and two reverse links; TDD structure 2, there are five receiving or reverse links, and two forwarding or downlinks, X=2).
the master device broadcasts the second audio data packet based on the forward
link in the N sub-event time slots when the forward link is enabled N (Gross, figs. 2, 6, 0007][0021], [0044], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data).
Regarding claim 10, Gross and Linsky disclose the method according to claim 9, further comprising:
receiving, by the slave device that does not access the reverse link, the first audio data packet broadcast by the target slave device based on the reverse link in the one or more reverse link time slots, when the reverse link is enabled (Gross, figs. 2, 6, 0007][0021], [0044], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data. Note, since the packet is broadcast by one of the slave nodes, any other slave nodes (including those who do not access the reverse link) withing the range can receive the packet).
Regarding claim 11, Gross and Linsky disclose the method according to claim 10, further comprising:
searching for synchronization information broadcast by the master device and synchronizing with the master device based on the synchronization information (Linsky, [0033][0058], an eNodeB may send a primary synchronization signal (PSC or PSS) and a secondary synchronization signal (SSC or SSS) for each cell in the eNodeB; the master and slave devices will be able to synchronize their clocks and align the slave transmission time along the subframe boundary 603 in order to avoid master/slave transmission and uplink/downlink overlap);
receiving the second audio data packet based on the synchronization information (Linsky, [0033][0058], the synchronization signals may be used by UEs for cell detection and acquisition);
broadcasting the first audio data packet based on the synchronization information when the slave device accesses the reverse link as the target slave device and the reverse link is enabled, or, receiving the first audio data packet broadcast by the target slave device based on the synchronization information when the slave device does not access the reverse link and the reverse link is enabled (Linsky, [0033][0058][0063], the two sets of transmissions are synchronized and aligned with the uplink/downlink boundary of the subframe boundary. Here, one set of the transmissions can be the transmission of the first audio data; Gross, [0044[).
Regarding claim 12, Gross and Linsky disclose the method according to claim 11, wherein the synchronization information comprises a time slot structure and a channel information of the isochronous interval, the slave device follows the channel information under the time slot structure of the isochronous interval (Linsky, [0058], the master and slave devices will be able to synchronize their clocks and align the slave transmission time along the subframe boundary 603 in order to avoid master/slave transmission and uplink/downlink overlap).
receives the second audio data packet broadcast by the master device based on the forward link and the first audio data packet broadcast by the target slave device based on the reverse link, and accesses the reverse link as the target slave device and broadcasts the first audio data packet (Gross, figs. 2, 6, 0007][0021], [0044], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data; the master node sends downlink data packets to all or at least a subset of the slave nodes during the downlink slot).
Regarding claim 13, Gross and Linsky disclose the method according to claim 9, wherein a packet header of the first audio data packet and the second audio data packet comprises a second region for representing a sender of this audio data packet (Gross, figs. 2, 6, 0007][0021], [0044], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data; the master node sends downlink data packets to all or at least a subset of the slave nodes during the downlink slot. Note, it is well known that a data packet has a packet header indicating the sender), the slave device determines that the received audio data packet is the second audio data packet sent by the master device or the first audio data packet sent by the target slave device based on the second region (Gross, figs. 2, 6, 0007][0021], [0044], each of the slave nodes sends at least one uplink data packet to the master node during its respective uplink slot; the slave may broadcast the data; the master node sends downlink data packets to all or at least a subset of the slave nodes during the downlink slot. This can be done by a simple comparison of the address of the source or sender).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7, 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENSHENG ZHANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00am-6:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached at 571-272-2832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHENSHENG ZHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474