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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 20 January 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s response, filed 20 January 2026, has been entered and carefully considered.
Claims 1, 4, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are amended.
Claims 5 and 12 are canceled.
Claims 1-4, 6-11 and 13-20 are currently pending.
The outstanding rejection of Claims 1-3, 6-11, 13-18 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendment to Claims 1, 9 and 16.
The outstanding rejection of Claims 4 and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 is withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendment to said claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 9 and 16 have been 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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 20 February 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-3, 6-10, 13-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xia et al (WIPO Publication 2022/118136), hereinafter Xia (already of record, cited on Applicant’s IDS filed September 17, 2024), in view of Kim et al (WIPO Publication 2024/191182), hereinafter Kim. Citations from Kim are taken from the provided machine translation of the reference.
Regarding Claim 1, Xia discloses an apparatus for wireless communications (Figure 14, non-AP STA hardware setup), comprising:
at least one transceiver (Figure 14 – RF module 404 coupled to antennas 406a-406n; see also paragraph 00179)
at least one memory comprising executable instructions (paragraph 00178 and paragraph 00538, the station comprises an associated memory storing instructions that are executed by the processor);
one or more processors configured to execute the executable instructions to cause the apparatus (paragraphs 00178 and 00538) to:
transmit, via the at least one transceiver, a first frame that includes a request for a network allocation vector (NAV) setting associated with a shared transmission opportunity (TXOP) (Figure 46 and paragraphs 00380-00382, wherein a non-AP STA sends a Share Offer/Request frame (1512) to an AP indicating an offer/request for shared TXOP access);
receive, via the at least one transceiver, a second frame triggering the shared TXOP (Figure 46 and paragraph 00383, wherein the AP then sends a shareability frame (1518) to other transmitters in the BSS, as well as an AP in a different BSS, triggering the shared TXOP); and
communicate, via the at least one transceiver during the shared TXOP, with a NAV associated with the request (Figure 46 and paragraph 00384, the devices communicate using either NAV (share offer/req) or NAV (OBSS share)).
However, while Xia discloses the share offer/request frame does include a duration (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508), Xia does not disclose the request indicates a NAV duration for the NAV setting. In an analogous art, Kim discloses this. Specifically, at Figure 17 and paragraphs 275-276, Kim discloses a TXOP initiation frame (i.e., request frame) send by a non-AP STA that comprises a duration of the obtainable TXOP. This duration field of the TXOP is used by recipients to set NAVs (as described in paragraph 481). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Kim. One would have been motivated to do so in order to avoid transmission collisions between stations in a network (refer to paragraphs 126-127 of Kim).
Claim 16 comprises the same limitations as Claim 1, claimed as a method. Therefore, Claim 16 is rejected using the same rationale as presented above regarding Claim 1.
Regarding Claims 2 and 17, Xia further discloses select(ing) the NAV setting, from a plurality of NAV settings having different durations (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration (which can be set to a number of microseconds)); and includ(ing), in the request, a field that indicates the selected NAV setting (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, the number of microseconds is included in the transmitted frame).
Regarding Claims 3 and 18, Xia further discloses at least a first duration of the different durations corresponds to a duration of the shared TXOP (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration (which can be set to a number of microseconds) of the shared TXOP).
Regarding Claim 6, Xia further discloses the first frame includes a request for the shared TXOP (Figure 46 and paragraphs 00380-00382, wherein a non-AP STA sends a Share Offer/Request frame (1512) to an AP indicating an offer/request for shared TXOP access).
Regarding Claim 7, Xia further discloses the request requests that the NAV setting be applied for just the shared TXOP (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration of the shared TXOP (which can be set to a number of microseconds)), therefore meeting the claimed alternative limitation.
Regarding Claim 8, Xia further discloses the apparatus is configured as a wireless station (Figure 14 and paragraph 00177, non-AP STA hardware setup).
Regarding Claim 9, Xia discloses an apparatus for wireless communications at a first wireless node (Figure 14 and paragraph 00178 – WLAN station operating as a first AP), comprising:
at least one transceiver (Figure 14 – RF module 404 coupled to antennas 406a-406n; see also paragraph 00179);
at least one memory comprising executable instructions (paragraph 00538, the station comprises an associated memory storing instructions that are executed by the processor);
one or more processors configured to execute the executable instructions to cause the apparatus (paragraph 00538, the communication stations disclosed comprise one or more computer processor devices executing instructions stored by the memory) to:
receive, via the at least one transceiver, a first frame that includes a request for a network allocation vector (NAV) setting associated with a shared transmission opportunity (TXOP) (Figure 46 and paragraphs 00380-00382, wherein a non-AP STA sends a Share Offer/Request frame (1512) to an AP indicating an offer/request for shared TXOP access);
transmit, via the at least one transceiver, a second frame triggering the shared TXOP (Figure 46 and paragraph 00383, wherein the AP then sends a shareability frame (1518) to other transmitters in the BSS, as well as an AP in a different BSS, triggering the shared TXOP); and
communicate, via the at least one transceiver, during the shared TXOP, in accordance with the request (Figure 46 and paragraph 00384, the devices communicate using either NAV (share offer/req) or NAV (OBSS share)).
However, while Xia discloses the share offer/request frame does include a duration (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508), Xia does not disclose the request indicates a NAV duration for the NAV setting. In an analogous art, Kim discloses this. Specifically, at Figure 17 and paragraphs 275-276, Kim discloses a TXOP initiation frame (i.e., request frame) send by a non-AP STA that comprises a duration of the obtainable TXOP. This duration field of the TXOP is used by recipients to set NAVs (as described in paragraph 481). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia and Kim. One would have been motivated to do so in order to avoid transmission collisions between stations in a network (refer to paragraphs 126-127 of Kim).
Regarding Claim 10, Xia discloses the request includes a field that indicates selection of the NAV setting, from a plurality of NAV settings having different durations (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration (which can be set to a number of microseconds)).
Regarding Claim 13, Xia further discloses the first frame includes a request for the shared TXOP (Figure 46 and paragraphs 00380-00382, wherein a non-AP STA sends a Share Offer/Request frame (1512) to an AP indicating an offer/request for shared TXOP access).
Regarding Claim 14, Xia further discloses the request requests that the NAV setting to be applied for just the shared TXOP (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration of the shared TXOP (which can be set to a number of microseconds)), therefore meeting the claimed alternative limitation.
Regarding Claim 15, Xia further discloses the apparatus is configured as an access point (Figure 14 and paragraph 00178).
Regarding Claim 20, Xia further discloses the request further includes a request for the shared TXOP (Figure 46 and paragraphs 00380-00382, wherein a non-AP STA sends a Share Offer/Request frame (1512) to an AP indicating an offer/request for shared TXOP access).
Claims 4, 11 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xia in view of Kim as applied to Claims 3, 10 and 18 above, and further in view of Xin et al (United States Pre-Grant Publication 2021/0007016), hereinafter Xin.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Xia and Kim discloses the limitations of Claim 3, as described above. Xia further discloses receiving, via the at least one transceiver, one or more signals after expiration of the NAV associated with a duration (Figure 46, wherein after the NAV periods end, the AP receives further signals (e.g., request 1536)). However, the aforementioned references do not disclose the selected NAV setting has a second duration that is shorter than a first duration, an indicated NAV duration comprises the second duration, and the NAV is associated with the second duration. In an analogous art, Xin discloses this. Specifically, Xin discloses a station sending a CTS either with a short NAV (duration field in the frame to shorten the channel occupancy) (paragraph 0231) or a full NAV (paragraph 0228)). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia / Kim and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce a probability of packet collisions (see paragraph 0008 of Xin).
Regarding Claim 11, the combination of Xia and Kim discloses the limitations of Claim 10, as described above. Xia further discloses at least a first duration of the different durations corresponds to a duration of the shared TXOP (Figures 77-78 and paragraphs 00507-00508, wherein the Share Offer/Request and Share Offer/Request Info frame formats comprise a duration (which can be set to a number of microseconds) of the shared TXOP). However, the aforementioned references do not disclose the selected NAV setting has a second duration that is shorter than the first duration, an indicated NAV duration comprises the second duration. In an analogous art, Xin discloses this. Specifically, Xin discloses a station sending a CTS either with a short NAV (duration field in the frame to shorten the channel occupancy) (paragraph 0231) or a full NAV (paragraph 0228)). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia / Kim and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce a probability of packet collisions (see paragraph 0008 of Xin).
Regarding Claim 19, the combination of Xia and Kim discloses the limitations of Claim 18, as described above. Xia further discloses receiving, via the at least one transceiver, one or more signals after expiration of the NAV associated with a duration (Figure 46, wherein after the NAV periods end, the AP receives further signals (e.g., request 1536)). However, the aforementioned references do not disclose the selected NAV setting has a second duration that is shorter than a first duration, an indicated NAV duration comprises the second duration. In an analogous art, Xin discloses this. Specifically, Xin discloses a station sending a CTS either with a short NAV (duration field in the frame to shorten the channel occupancy) (paragraph 0231) or a full NAV (paragraph 0228)). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Xia / Kim and Xin. One would have been motivated to do so in order to reduce a probability of packet collisions (see paragraph 0008 of Xin).
Conclusion
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/ANDREW W CHRISS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2472