DETAILED ACTION
This office action is a response to an application filed on 01/31/2024.
Claims 1- 10 are pending for examination.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The Examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 01/31/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 20220123881 A1); hereinafter “Li”.
Regarding claim 1, Li teaches A communication apparatus, comprising:
reception circuitry, which, in operation, receives a signal [Li: Fig. 11- 13]; and control circuitry, which, in operation, changes a setting related to a transmission inhibition period based on whether a sender of the signal belongs to a group that is related to cooperative communication and that is common to the communication apparatus [Li: Fig. 5; Par. 150 teaches the transmitter transfer announcement/ signal /frame ( Par. 191 teach transfer frame which carried TXOP time period) of master AP set the basic navigation allocation for STA2 associated with slave SP (belong to a group).
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Regarding claim 2, Li further teaches the control circuitry determines whether the sender belongs to the group, based on identification information included in the signal [Li: Par. 170 further teaches of identification of AID (association identifier) and triggered based on association].
Regarding claim 3, Li further teaches the control circuitry determines that the sender belongs to the group when user information destined for the communication apparatus is included in the signal [Li: Par. 170].
Regarding claim 4, Li further teaches the control circuitry determines whether the sender belongs to the group, based on information about the group included in a beacon signal [Li: Par. 107, 202 teaches of sending trigger frame].
Regarding claim 5, Li further teaches the communication apparatus is a station (STA), and the control circuitry does not set the transmission inhibition period when the control circuitry receives the signal including information about a transmission opportunity from the sender that belongs to the group [LI: Fig. 5; Par. 170, 150].
Regarding claim 6, Li further teaches the communication apparatus is an access point, and the control circuitry does not set the transmission inhibition period when the control circuitry receives the signal including information about a transmission opportunity from the sender that belongs to the group [Li: Fig. 5].
Regarding claim 7, Li further teaches the control circuitry sets a first transmission inhibition period for a Basic Service Set (BSS) that is common to the communication apparatus, when the control circuitry receives the signal including information about a transmission opportunity from the sender that belongs to the group [Lin: Par. 85, 170, 186 teaches of sending BSS from master AP to slave AP], and
the control circuitry sets a second transmission inhibition period for a BSS that differs from the BSS of the communication apparatus, when the control circuitry receives the signal including information about the transmission opportunity from the sender that does not belong to the group [Lin: Par. 186- 187 teaches of inter and intra BSS associated with master AP is sends to slave AP and slave AP returns the usage right of TXOP to master AP].
Regarding claim 8, Li further teaches the control circuitry cancels a setting of the first transmission inhibition period when the control circuitry receives a trigger frame including user information destined for the communication apparatus [Li: Fig. 5; Par. 107, 150 teaches of receiving and sending trigger frame with information].
Regarding claim 9, Li further teaches a reception circuitry that receives information about cancelling of a setting of the first transmission inhibition period, wherein the control circuitry cancels the setting of the first transmission inhibition period based on the information [Par. 70- 83 teaches information related to backoff if conditions of BSS are not met].
Regarding claim 10, Li teaches A communication method comprising:
receiving a signal by a communication apparatus; and [Li: Fig. 11- 13]; changing a setting related to a transmission inhibition period by the communication apparatus based on whether a sender of the signal belongs to a group that is related to cooperative communication and that is common to the communication apparatus [Li: Fig. 5; Par. 150 teaches the transmitter transfer announcement/ signal /frame ( Par. 191 teach transfer frame which carried TXOP time period) of master AP set the basic navigation allocation for STA2 associated with slave SP (belong to a group).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record (see attached PTO-892) and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of the action. An extension of time may be obtained under 37 CFR 1.136(a). However, in no event, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYAW Z SOE whose telephone number is (571)270-0304. The examiner can normally be reached on 9am-5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Charles C Jiang can be reached on 5712707191. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYAW Z SOE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412