DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
A preliminary amendment received on 1/31/2024 amending claims 1-15, 17-29, and 24, canceling claims 16, 20-23, and 25, and adding claim 26 has been entered by the examiner.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 1/31/2024 and 11/13/2024 have been entered and considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 7-10, 12, 14-15, 18-19, 24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Das et al (Dibakar Das, Intel, "PDT: Channel access for Triggered TXOP", doc.: IEEE 802.11-21/0268r8, March 2021, 7 pages) IDS submitted by Applicant.
Regarding claims 1 and 24, Das teaches a communication method/electronic device, performed by an access point (AP) (Abstract), comprising:
a processor; and a memory storing a computer program executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to (An AP and STA would necessarily have to have a processor and memory):
sending a multi-user request to send (MU-RTS) frame (Page 1 (pages are all labeled Page 1 so page numbers cited will start at the first page and increment accordingly); "After a non-AP STA receives an MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame from its associated AP and addressed to it, the STA shall transmit one or more non-TB PPDUs within the time allocation signaled in the TBD field of the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame."); wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing information, the TXOP sharing information comprises a target transmission duration allocated to a first station (STA), and the target transmission duration is configured for the first STA to transmit data to a target AP or a second STA (Pages 3-4; An Allocation Duration subfield in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame indicates the time duration allocated to the non-AP STA within the TXOP obtained by the AP; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if the MU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. Table 9-31xxx shows the different modes and whether the receiving STA transmits to an AP or another STA).
Regarding claims 3 and 12, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches wherein the TXOP sharing information comprises TXOP sharing mode information; the TXOP sharing mode information comprises a first sharing mode or a second sharing mode; the target transmission duration is configured for the first STA to transmit data to the target AP in the first sharing mode; and the target transmission duration is configured for the first STA to transmit data to the second STA in the second sharing mode (Pages 3-4; An Allocation Duration subfield in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame indicates the time duration allocated to the non-AP STA within the TXOP obtained by the AP; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if theMU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. Table 9-31xxx shows the different modes and whether the receiving STA transmits to an AP or another STA).
Regarding claim 5, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches wherein the TXOP sharing information is carried in a Common Info field of the MU-RTS frame (Pages 3-4; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if theMU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially).
Regarding claims 7 and 18, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises a first Duration element; and a duration indicated by the first Duration element is the target transmission duration or a first duration; the first duration is a sum of a length of the MU-RTS frame and a length of a clear to send (CTS) frame (Pages 3-4; An Allocation Duration subfield in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame indicates the time duration allocated to the non-AP STA within the TXOP obtained by the AP).
Regarding claims 8 and 19, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches further comprising: receiving a clear to send (CTS) frame; the CTS frame comprises a second Duration element; a duration indicated by the second Duration element is the target transmission duration or a second duration; the second duration is a length of the CTS frame (Pages 3-4; An Allocation Duration subfield in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame indicates the time duration allocated to the non-AP STA within the TXOP obtained by the AP).
Regarding claim 9, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches further comprising: determining the MU-RTS frame (Pages 3-4; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if the MU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. in order to send the MU-RTS, the AP had to determine it).
Regarding claims 10 and 26, Das teaches a communication method/electronic device, performed by a first station (STA) (Abstract), comprising:
a processor; and a memory storing a computer program executable by the processor, wherein the processor is configured to (An AP and STA would necessarily have to have a processor and memory):
receiving a multi-user request to send (MU-RTS) frame; wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises transmission opportunity (TXOP) sharing information, the TXOP sharing information comprises a target transmission duration allocated to the first STA, and the target transmission duration is configured for the first STA to transmit data to a target access point (AP) or a second STA (Pages 1 and 3-4 (pages are all labeled Page 1 so page numbers cited will start at the first page and increment accordingly); "After a non-AP STA receives an MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame from its associated AP and addressed to it, the STA shall transmit one or more non-TB PPDUs within the time allocation signaled in the TBD field of the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame."; An Allocation Duration subfield in the MU-RTS TXS Trigger frame indicates the time duration allocated to the non-AP STA within the TXOP obtained by the AP; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if the MU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. Table 9-31xxx shows the different modes and whether the receiving STA transmits to an AP or another STA).
Regarding claim 14, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches further comprising: transmitting data to the target AP or the second STA within the target transmission duration based on the TXOP sharing mode information (Pages 3-4; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if the MU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. in order to send the MU-RTS, the AP had to determine it).
Regarding claim 15, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims. Das further teaches wherein transmitting data to the target AP or the second STA within the target transmission duration based on the TXOP sharing mode information, comprises: transmitting data to the target AP within the target transmission duration in the first sharing mode; and transmitting data to the second STA within the target transmission duration in the second sharing mode (Pages 3-4; The TxOP Sharing Mode subfield in the Common Info field is set to a nonzero value if the MU-RTS Trigger frame is sent by an EHT AP that intends to allocate time within an obtained TXOP to an EHT non-APSTA for transmitting one or more non-TB PPDUs sequentially; i.e. in order to send the MU-RTS, the AP had to determine it).
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 of this title, 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 2, 4, 6, 11, 13, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Das et al (Dibakar Das, Intel, "PDT: Channel access for Triggered TXOP", doc.: IEEE 802.11-21/0268r8, March 2021, 7 pages) IDS submitted by Applicant in view of Cherian et al (US 2021/0168712 A1) IDS submitted by Applicant.
Regarding claims 2 and 11, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims.
However, Das does not specifically disclose wherein the TXOP sharing information comprises a first association identifier (AID) of the first STA; and an AID table of the target AP comprises the first AID.
Cherian teaches extending the capabilities of TWT elements transmitted by APs to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications (Abstract). He further teaches wherein the TXOP sharing information comprises a first association identifier (AID) of the first STA; and an AID table of the target AP comprises the first AID (Paras. 0049 and 0072; The AP 102 assigns an association identifier (AID) to the STA 104 at the culmination of the association operations, which the AP 102 uses to track the STA 104; A trigger frame may address one or more STAs 104 through respective association identifiers (AIDs), and may assign each AID (and thus each STA 104) one or more RUs that can be used to send UL traffic to the AP 102).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Cherian with the teachings as in Das. The motivation for doing so would have been to extend the capabilities of target wake time (TWT) elements transmitted by wireless access points to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications to other D2D-enabled wireless devices (Cherian at para. 0043).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims.
However, Das does not specifically disclose wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises receiving address (RA) information; the RA information comprises a media access control layer (MAC) address of the first STA in the first sharing mode; and the RA information comprises a multicast address for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication of the first STA in the second sharing mode.
Cherian teaches extending the capabilities of TWT elements transmitted by APs to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications (Abstract). He further teaches wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises receiving address (RA) information; the RA information comprises a media access control layer (MAC) address of the first STA in the first sharing mode; and the RA information comprises a multicast address for peer-to-peer (P2P) communication of the first STA in the second sharing mode (Paras. 0048, 0072, and 0131; a source address field and a BSSID field (for example, in a MAC header) associated with the CTI frame 1110 are set to the MAC address of the first wireless access point and a destination address field (for example, in the MAC header) associated with the CTI frame 1110 is set to a broadcast address; i.e. broadcast address reads on multicast address).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Cherian with the teachings as in Das. The motivation for doing so would have been to extend the capabilities of target wake time (TWT) elements transmitted by wireless access points to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications to other D2D-enabled wireless devices (Cherian at para. 0043).
Regarding claims 6 and 17, Das teaches the limitations of the previous claims.
However, Das does not specifically disclose wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises a time information element and a TXOP corresponding to the TXOP sharing information is within a service period comprised in the time information element; and the time information element comprises at least one of a restricted target wake-up time (rTWT) element and a Quiet Element.
Cherian teaches extending the capabilities of TWT elements transmitted by APs to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications (Abstract). He further teaches wherein the MU-RTS frame comprises a time information element and a TXOP corresponding to the TXOP sharing information is within a service period comprised in the time information element; and the time information element comprises at least one of a restricted target wake-up time (rTWT) element and a Quiet Element (Paras. 0043, 0094, and 0101; each of the beacon frames includes one or more target wake time (TWT) information elements (IEs). Each TWT IE includes an indication of a schedule of wake periods for one or more wireless stations in the first BSS. For example, each TWT IE may be an individual TWT addressed to a single wireless station, or a broadcast TWT addressed to a set of wireless stations such as the first set of wireless stations. During each wake period, the wireless station or set of wireless stations identified in the respective TWT are to be awake to receive wireless communications from the first wireless access point. The identified wireless stations may also contend for access to the wireless medium during the respective wake periods in some implementations. In some implementations, at least one of the TWT IEs includes the indication of the periodic reserved access windows 802).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the teachings as in Cherian with the teachings as in Das. The motivation for doing so would have been to extend the capabilities of target wake time (TWT) elements transmitted by wireless access points to support periodic reserved access windows during which D2D-enabled wireless devices are permitted to transmit direct wireless communications to other D2D-enabled wireless devices (Cherian at para. 0043).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENT KRUEGER whose telephone number is (303)297-4238. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-5:00 MT.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Thier can be reached on (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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/KENT KRUEGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2474
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