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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 February 09, 2026 has been entered.
Remarks
Pending claims for reconsideration are claims 1-24. Applicant has
Amended claims 1-2, 6, 10-15, 17, and 19.
Added new claims 21-24.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed on February 09, 2026 have been fully considered but they are deemed moot in view of new ground of rejection (see, 102 and 103 rejections below).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-8, 10-12, 15-17, and 19-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hwang et al. (US 2022/0287121 Al / or “Hwang” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Hwang discloses “A first device, comprising” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device”):
“a circuit configured to provide at least one frame to a second device after an event that affects a connection between the first device and the second device, wherein the event is one of” (Para 0140: reassociation connection request for updating parameters):
“a reboot or refresh of a WiFi interface, a failed roaming attempt, a capability/parameter reconfiguration, or a multilink configuration change” (Para 0140: reassociation connection request for updating parameters; and Para 0149),
“wherein the at least one frame comprises a protected reassociation request message for a multilink operation” (Para 0118-0119, multilink operation is performed; and Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed).
Regarding claim 2, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the frame is provided according to an 802.11 protocol and a connection is reestablished by using a reassociation operation” (Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed based on 802.11 protocol).
Regarding claim 3, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the first device is a beacon protection enabled station (STA)” (Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed based on 802.11 protocol).
Regarding claim 4, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the circuit is configured to receive a protected reassociation response message from the second device” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device” establishes communication channel).
Regarding claim 5, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the second device is a beacon protection supported access point” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device” establishes communication channel).
Regarding claim 6, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the circuit is configured to receive a protected reassociation response message from the second device and to provide an acknowledgement message in response to the protected reassociation response message” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device” establishes communication channel).
Regarding claim 7, in view of claim 6, Hwang discloses “wherein the circuit is configured to provide the protected reassociation response message with information for links for the multilink operation” (Hwang, Abstract: in reassociation message multilink information is provided).
Regarding claim 8, in view of claim 7, Hwang discloses “wherein the information is for a reduced number of the links” (Para 0013).
Regarding claim 10, claim 10 is directed to a device corresponding to the device recited in claim 1. Claim 10 is similar in scope to claim 1, and is therefore, rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 11, in view of claim 10, Hwang discloses “wherein the at least one frame is provided according to an 802.11 protocol” (Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed based on 802.11 protocol)
“and a connection is established by using an association or authentication operation and wherein the first device is a beacon protection enabled access point” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device” establishes authenticated communication channel).
Regarding claim 12, in view of claim 10, Hwang discloses “wherein the at least one frame comprises information that indicates confirmation of reassociation of a connection between the first device and the second device” (Para 0021, and para 0150).
Regarding claim 15, Hwang discloses “A method of operating a first device, the first device having a connection with a second device, the connection having associated key information, the method comprising” (Fig. 3: STA i.e., a “first device”; and APS i.e., a “second device”):
“providing a protected reassociation request message using the key information across the connection from the first device to the second device after an event that affects the connection between the first device and the second device, wherein the event is one of” (Para 0140: reassociation connection request for updating parameters):
“a reboot or refresh of a WiFi interface, a failed roaming attempt, a capability/parameter reconfiguration, or a multilink configuration change” (Para 0140: reassociation connection request for updating parameters; and Para 0149),
“and receiving a protected reassociation response message for a multilink operation from the second device at the first device using the key information” (Para 0118-0119, multilink operation is performed; and Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed).
Regarding claim 16, in view of claim 15, Hwang discloses “wherein the protected reassociation request message is a protected management frame” (Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed based on 802.11 protocol).
Regarding claim 17, claim 17 is directed to a method corresponding to the device recited in claim 7. Claim 17 is similar in scope to claim 7, and is therefore, rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding claim 19, in view of claim 15, Hwang discloses “wherein the event is the multilink configuration change” (Para 0118-0119, multilink operation is performed; and Para 0079-0081, authenticated association and reassociation is performed).
Regarding claim 20, in view of claim 15, Hwang discloses “wherein the event comprises roaming from the second device” (Para 0016: changing link).
Regarding claim 21, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the event is the reboot or refresh of the WiFi interface” (Para 0140).
Regarding claim 22, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the event is the failed roaming attempt” (Para 0208).
Regarding claim 23, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the event is the capability/parameter reconfiguration” (Para 0132: capability; and Para 0218: link reconfiguration).
Regarding claim 24, in view of claim 1, Hwang discloses “wherein the event is the multilink configuration change” (Para 0204: configuration change).
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.
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.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang et al. (US 2022/0287121 Al / or “Hwang” hereinafter) in view of Huang et al. (IDP 202300184 A/ or “Huang” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 9, in view of claim 7, Hwang discloses multilink operation is performed and authenticated association and reassociation is performed (Para 0118-0119; and Para 0079-0081).
But Hwang fails to specially disclose reassociation message is provided based on a list.
However, Huang discloses “wherein the information is related to traffic identification to link mapping” (Huang, Para 008l; and Abstract).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teachings of reassociation message with link information of Huang to the system of Hwang to create a system where “…the information is brought in to increase the flexibility of multilink formation…” (Huang, Abstract) and the ordinary person skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine to “number of links can be further established for the same radio, to help the radio perform fast switching between a number of links, thus avoiding the problem of relatively large delays that occur due to the switching performed after the link is re-formed later” (Huang, Para 010)
Claims 13-14, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang in view of Kamath et al. (US 10499282 B1/ or “Kamath” hereinafter).
Regarding claim 13, in view of claim 10, Hwang discloses multilink operation is performed and authenticated association and reassociation is performed (Para 0118-0119; and Para 0079-0081).
But Hwang fails to specially disclose reassociation message is provided based on a list.
However, Kamath discloses “wherein the circuit is configured to provide the at least one frame if the second device is on a list of associated devices stored on the second device” (Kamath, Col 14: 28-43, devices on blacklist and white list for connection re-establishment).
It would have been obvious to an ordinary person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to employ the teachings of reassociation message is provided based on a list of Kamath to system Hwang to create a system where devices are managed based on access list and the ordinary person skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine to secure access to network.
Regarding claim 14, in view of claim 10, Hwang in view of Kamath disclose “wherein the circuit is configured to not provide the at least one frame if the second device is not on a list of associated devices stored on the second device” (Kamath, Col 14: 28-43, devices on blacklist and white list for connection re-establishment).
Regarding claim 18, in view of claim 15, Hang in view of Kamath disclose “wherein the protected reassociation response message from the second device is provided if the first device on a list of associated devices stored on the second device” (see rejection of claim 13).
Relevant Prior Arts
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ho et al. (US 20230269581 A1) discloses:
[0077] In some cases, (Re)Association messages may be encrypted using Counter Mode CBC-MAC Protocol (CCMP) or Galois/Counter Mode Protocol (GCMP) as they may be used with protected management frames (PMF), but may also use TKs. As described above, GTK/IGTK/BIGTK may be delivered as IEs inside the encrypted (Re)Association Response. If operating in multi-link operation (MLO) mode, a basic service set ID (BSSID) may be replaced with an AP MLD MAC address with non-AP multi link device (MLD) MAC address.
Tian et al. (US 20150085844 A1) discloses:
[0026] This disclosure includes several re-association activities which may be used by the APs to cause a re-association of a wireless client device from a first AP to a second AP. Not all re-association activities (also referred to as re-association techniques or procedures) are supported by each wireless client device” (Para 0026).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDULLAH ALMAMUN whose telephone number is (571) 270-3392. The examiner can normally be reached on 8 AM - 5 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynn Feild can be reached on (571) 272-2092. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDULLAH ALMAMUN/Examiner, Art Unit 2431
/SARAH SU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2431