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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in reply communication filed on 12/01/2025.
Claims 1-12 and 14 are pending.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/01/2025 has been entered.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-8, filled on 12/01/2025, with respect to rejection under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) of claims 1-10-12, and 14 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-8, filled on 12/01/2025, with respect to rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 of claims 2, 5, 6-7, and 8-9 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-5 and 8-12 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recited, “the cluster head device of- said at least one beacon cluster member device” in line 9. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device of the at least one beacon cluster member device”.
Claim 2 recited, “the cluster head device” in line 3. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 3 recited, “its cluster head device” in line 2. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 4 recited, “its cluster head device” in line 3. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 5 recited, “its cluster head device in response to receiving from the cluster head device” in lines 2-3. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device in response to receiving from the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 8 recited, “its cluster head device” in line 3. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 9 recited, “its cluster head device” in line 3. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device”.
Claim 10 recited, “the cluster head device of said at least one beacon cluster member device” in line 9. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device of the at least one beacon cluster member device”.
Claim 11 recited, “the cluster head device of said at least one beacon cluster member device” in line 8. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device of the at least one beacon cluster member device”.
Claim 12 recited, “the cluster head device of said at least one beacon cluster member device” in line 4. For clarity, it is suggested to change to “the at least one cluster head device of the at least one beacon cluster member device”.
Appropriate corrections are 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.
Claims 1-5 and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 1-5 and 8-12 recited, “its” within the claims. It is unclear what “its” refers to each of the recited limitations. Thus, the claims 1-5 and 8-12 are indefinite.
Claim 1 recited, “at least one cluster head device associated with at least one beaconing cluster member device configured to transmit beacon messages” in lines 2-4. It is unclear who is performing “configured to transmit beacon messages”. Thus, the claim is indefinite.
For the purpose of examination, examiner will interpret the claims as best understood.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 8-9, 10-12, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2017/0127369) in view of SAKODA (US 2016/0088619).
Regarding claim 1, Liu discloses a timing system for a wireless communication network comprising: a plurality of communication devices [Fig. 3, ¶ 83; a system for a wireless communication network for broadcasting a NAN data beacon of a master and non-master sync NAN devices],
the timing system comprises at least one cluster head device associated with at least one beaconing cluster member device [¶ 83; at least one cluster head device/master devices associated with at least one beaconing cluster member device/peer NAN devices] configured to
transmit beacon messages [Fig. 3, ¶ 84; a master transmit a NAN synchronization beacons 430 in each discovery window 420],
wherein the at least one cluster head device and its associated at least one beaconing cluster member device belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network [Fig. 3, ¶ 83; wherein the master devices/(at least one cluster head device) and the peer NAN devices/ (at least one beaconing cluster member device) belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network], and
wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to periodically transmit a periodical message to the cluster head device of the said at least one beacon cluster member device [Fig. 4, ¶ 84; wherein a device/(non-master sync device)/(at least one beaconing cluster member device)/(NAN cluster to peer NAN devices) transmit NAN synchronization beacons 430 in each discovery window 420 (periodically transmit of two discover windows 420)],
wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing [Fig. 3, ¶¶ 84-85; wherein the periodical message/(NAN synchronization beacons 430) comprises timing information/(time stamp) and beacon interval indicating a timing].
Although, Liu discloses all aspect set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing “of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message”.
However, SAKODA discloses wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message [See Fig. 2, ¶¶ 165, 170, 378; the wireless communication device 100/ (cluster head device) periodically exchanged between neighboring wireless communication devices/(beaconing cluster member device); in which the wireless communication device 100/ (cluster head device) beacon signals received from neighboring stations; wherein the beacon signals includes a NBOI/NBAI (Neighboring Beacon Offset Information/Neighboring Beacon Activity Information) field which indicating reception point-in-time information of beacons receivable from nearby stations, Also See Fig. 7, ¶¶ 228, 235-238].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message” as taught by SAKODA in the system of Liu, so that it would to avoid collision by one of the communication stations autonomously moving the beacon transmission timing of itself [see SAKODA; ¶ 78].
Regarding claim 8, the combined system of Liu and SAKODA discloses the timing system according to claim 1.
Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is further configured to transmit to its cluster head device neighbouring timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of one or more neighbouring devices of the at least one beaconing cluster member device, wherein the one or more neighbouring devices belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network.
However, SAKODA discloses wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is further configured to transmit to its cluster head device neighbouring timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of one or more neighbouring devices of the at least one beaconing cluster member device, wherein the one or more neighbouring devices belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network [¶ 185; wherein the communication station 04 which appears next sets the beacon transmission timing at a timing at approximately the center of the bacon intervals set by the communication station 02 and the communication station 01].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is further configured to transmit to its cluster head device neighbouring timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of one or more neighbouring devices of the at least one beaconing cluster member device, wherein the one or more neighbouring devices belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network” as taught by SAKODA in the system of Liu, so that it would to perform periodic signal transmission and reception at each predetermined time interval, while avoiding collision with signals of other stations [see SAKODA; ¶ 114].
Regarding claim 9, the combined system of Liu and SAKODA discloses the timing system according to claim 8.
Liu does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the neighbouring timing information to its cluster head device by including the neighbouring timing information in the next beacon message to be transmitted.
However, SAKODA discloses wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the neighbouring timing information to its cluster head device by including the neighbouring timing information in the next beacon message to be transmitted [¶ 185; wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the neighbouring timing information to its cluster head device by including the neighbouring timing information in the next beacon message to be transmitted].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the neighbouring timing information to its cluster head device by including the neighbouring timing information in the next beacon message to be transmitted” as taught by SAKODA in the system of Liu, so that it would to perform periodic signal transmission and reception at each predetermined time interval, while avoiding collision with signals of other stations [see SAKODA; ¶ 114].
Regarding claim 10, Liu discloses a timing method for a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of communication devices [Fig. 3, ¶ 83; a method for a wireless communication network for broadcasting a NAN data beacon of a master and non-master sync NAN devices], the method comprising following steps of:
presenting at least one cluster head device associated with at least one beaconing cluster member device configured to transmit beacon messages [Fig. 3, ¶ 83; a master device transmit a NAN discovery beacon to peer NAN devices], wherein the at least one cluster head device and its associated at least one beaconing cluster member device belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network [Fig. 3, ¶ 83; wherein the master device and the peer NAN devices belong to the plurality of communication devices of the wireless communication network]; and
transmitting periodically, by the at least one beaconing cluster member device, a periodical message to its cluster head device of the said at least one beacon cluster member device [Fig. 4, ¶ 84; wherein a device/(non-master sync device)/(at least one beaconing cluster member device)/(NAN cluster to peer NAN devices) transmit NAN synchronization beacons 430 in each discovery window 420 (periodical)],
wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing [Fig. 3, ¶¶ 84-85; wherein the periodical message/(NAN synchronization beacons 430) comprises timing information/(time stamp) and beacon interval indicating a timing].
Although, Liu discloses all aspect set forth above, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing “of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message”.
However, SAKODA discloses wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message [See Fig. 2, ¶¶ 165, 170, 378; the wireless communication device 100/ (cluster head device) periodically exchanged between neighboring wireless communication devices/(beaconing cluster member device); in which the wireless communication device 100/ (cluster head device) beacon signals received from neighboring stations; wherein the beacon signals includes a NBOI/NBAI (Neighboring Beacon Offset Information/Neighboring Beacon Activity Information) field which indicating reception point-in-time information of beacons receivable from nearby stations, Also See Fig. 7, ¶¶ 228, 235-238].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the periodical message comprises timing information indicating a timing of a next beacon message of the beaconing cluster member device transmitting the periodical message” as taught by SAKODA in the system of Liu, so that it would to avoid collision by one of the communication stations autonomously moving the beacon transmission timing of itself [see SAKODA; ¶ 78].
Regarding claim 11, the claim recites a beaconing cluster member device for a wireless communication network, the beaconing cluster member device comprises: a controller, and a radio communicator for operating as a radio node device, wherein beaconing cluster member device is configured to perform the timing system for a wireless communication network recited as in claim 1; therefore, claim 11 is rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, the claim recites a timing method for the beaconing cluster member device to perform the timing system for a wireless communication network recited as in claim 1; therefore, claim 12 is rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claim 1.
Regarding claim 14, the claim recites tangible non-volatile computer readable medium to perform the timing system for a wireless communication network recited as in claim 1; therefore, claim 14 is rejected along the same rationale that rejected in claim 1.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2017/0127369) in view of SAKODA (US 2016/0088619), and further in view of Cardozo (US 2020/0186415).
Regarding claim 2, the combined system of Liu and SAKODA discloses the timing system according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein in response to receiving the periodical message from its associated at least one beaconing cluster member device the cluster head device is configured to adjust its receiving window margin for receiving the next beacon message from the at least one beaconing cluster member device based on the timing information comprised in the received periodical message.
However, Cardozo discloses wherein in response to receiving the periodical message from its associated at least one beaconing cluster member device the cluster head device is configured to adjust its receiving window margin for receiving the next beacon message from the at least one beaconing cluster member device based on the timing information comprised in the received periodical message [¶ 26; in response to receiving the RF beacon signals (at defined beacon intervals) from each of the nodes 108a-108h, the each of the nodes 108a-108h may control their own beacon intervals, by reducing the beacon intervals to a small time period].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein in response to receiving the periodical message from its associated at least one beaconing cluster member device the cluster head device is configured to adjust its receiving window margin for receiving the next beacon message from the at least one beaconing cluster member device based on the timing information comprised in the received periodical message” as taught by Cardozo in the system of Liu, so that it would provide sufficient power for the node to transmit an outage indication after the node stops receiving power from a primary power source of the node [see Cardozo; ¶ 3].
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2017/0127369) in view of SAKODA (US 2016/0088619), and further in view of Baghel et al. (US 2015/0208384).
Regarding claim 5, the combined system of Liu and SAKODA discloses the timing system according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the next periodical message to its cluster head device in response to receiving from the cluster head device a beacon message comprising a request to transmit the next periodical message.
However, Baghel discloses wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the next periodical message to its cluster head device in response to receiving from the cluster head device a beacon message comprising a request to transmit the next periodical message [¶¶ 69-70; the second D2D discovery signal 320 may be a response accepting the user device 115-c-1 request for D2D discovery].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the at least one beaconing cluster member device is configured to transmit the next periodical message to its cluster head device in response to receiving from the cluster head device a beacon message comprising a request to transmit the next periodical message” as taught by Baghel in the combined system of Liu and SAKODA, so that it would provide an indication of an amount of time for which the D2D discovery resources are allocated [see Baghel; ¶ 7].
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 unpatentable over Liu et al. (US 2017/0127369) in view of SAKODA (US 2016/0088619), and further in view of ETSI TS 103 636-4 V1.3.1 (2021-12) (Release 1) (referred as ETSI TS).
Regarding claim 6, the combined system of Liu and SAKODA discloses the timing system according to claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the periodical message is an association request message.
However, ETSI TS discloses wherein the periodical message is an association request message [page 27, Section 5.8.4; wherein the periodical message is an association request message].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “wherein the periodical message is an association request message” as taught by ETSI TS in the combined system of Liu and SAKODA, so that it would to allow other RDs to associate with RD_2 to control header type 1 [see ETSI TS; page 26, Section 5.8.2].
Regarding claim 7, the combined system of Liu, SAKODA, and ETSI TS discloses the timing system according to claim 6.
The combined system of Liu, SAKODA does not explicitly disclose wherein the association request message is an association request message according to Digital European Cordless Telecommunication 2020 (DECT-2020).
However, ETSI TS discloses wherein the association request message is an association request message according to Digital European Cordless Telecommunication 2020 (DECT-2020) [page 7, Section 1; wherein the association request message is an association request message according to Digital European Cordless Telecommunication 2020 (DECT-2020)].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention was made to provide “the timing system according to claim 6, wherein the association request message is an association request message according to Digital European Cordless Telecommunication 2020 (DECT-2020)” as taught by ETSI TS in the combined system of Liu, SAKODA, so that it would to allow other RDs to associate with RD_2 to control header type 1 [see ETSI TS; page 26, Section 5.8.2].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 4 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
In additional to references cited that are used for rejection as set forth above, ZHENG et al. (US 2017/0149614) is also considered as relevant prior arts for rejection of in claims 1 and 10-14 (Fig. 5, ¶¶ 91-95).
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/PHONG LA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2469