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 .
2. This office action is a response to an application filed on 10/24/2023 where claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/16/2026 has been considered by the examiner. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37CFR 1.97.
Drawings
4. The drawings were received on 10/24/2023. These drawing are acceptable.
Claim Objections
5. Claims objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 12 recites in lines 5 and 6, “used to supply packets to a used to supply packets to the plurality of different radios”
Limitation “used to supply packets to a ” has to be removed.
Claim 14 recites in line 4, “(304)”
Claim 15 recites in line 5, “(206)”
Claim 19 recites in line 9, “(1016)”
These notations from figures in to the claim has to be crossed out.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
6. 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, 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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 12, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cammarota; Rosario et al. (US 20170208079 A1) hereinafter Cammarota and further in view of Parker et al. (WO 2013090992 A1)hereinafter Parker; translated copy attached
As to claim 1. Cammarota teaches A communications method, the method comprising:
receiving, at a first access point (AP) ([0061] Fig. 1, an individual traffic flow may correspond to a TCP connection between AP 110 and a device external to WLAN 120 e.g., one of remote services 145) including an interface having a first IP address corresponding to the first AP during a normal mode of AP operation, IP packets that are directed to said first IP address([0024][0031] Fig. 1, AP assigned with IP address; AP 110, the one or more transceivers may include Wi-Fi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, cellular transceivers, and/or other suitable radio frequency (RF) transceivers, AP uses IP address to communicate with remote service/ap receives packet using IP address)
and
which are to be transmitted to one or more User Equipment devices (UEs) which are receiving service from the first AP; ([0061]Fig. 1, packet transmitted to client device form AP, client devices receiving services from AP)
storing the received IP packets in an IP packet buffer([024][0051] Fig. 4, AP store received IP data packets)
used to supply packets to a plurality of different radios included in said first AP; ([0031][0047]Fig. 4 AP includes transceivers 411 may include any number of transmit chains to process and transmit and receive signals to other wireless devices via antennas 460(1)-460(n) with different radios)
Cammarota does not teach operating a higher order common medium access control (MAC) scheduler at the first AP to determine which of a plurality of radio network MAC schedulers is to schedule transmission of individual IP packets stored in the IP packet buffer,
said plurality of radio network MAC schedulers including a first MAC scheduler corresponding to a first radio,
said first radio being one of said plurality of different radios; and operating the first MAC scheduler to control a first radio at the first AP to transmit packets to a first UE over a first radio network.
Parker teaches operating a higher order common medium access control (MAC) scheduler ,. at the first AP ([0101][0102] MAC layer that it needs to set the destination MAC address as the broadcast address as every mobile device connected to the AP needs to receive and parse this information//AP assign destination MAC address, upper layer mac scheduler )to determine which of a plurality of radio network MAC schedulers i([0101][0102] AP mac layer determines destination MAC address of mobile device)
is to schedule transmission of individual IP packets stored in the IP packet buffer, ([0094]-[0100] having retrieved the IP packet for the mobile device, the smart packet layer sends the IP packet on to the MAC layer. Since the IP packet is coming from Layer 3, the MAC layer does an ARP request to find the MAC address for the mobile device IP address as seen in the IP packet that it receives. The MAC layer then adds this MAC address as the destination MAC address, AP transmits the IP packet to mobile device)
said plurality of radio network MAC schedulers including a first MAC scheduler ([0085] [0090][0111]AP includes plurality of MAC address client 1 IP address client 1 MAC address AP; AP uses (2.4 GHz) for communicating the webpage data packets)
corresponding to a first radio, ([0112] Fig. 4, ]AP transmits frames to client device in 2.4 GHz);
said first radio being one of said plurality of different radios; ([0112] plurality of frequency band 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
and operating the first MAC scheduler to control a first radio at the first AP to transmit packets to a first UE over a first radio network([0061][0090[0091] [0100]AP operates MAC address client 1 IP address client 1; in first radio 2.4 GHz, buffer contains the destination device's MAC address and the IP packet created/formulated at IP layer for the destination device. AP transmits the IP packet to mobile device)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Parker with the teaching of Cammarota because Parker teaches that having destination device's MAC address in the buffer, retrieving on demand using the IP address of the destination device would provide an improved route determination system and method in order to transmit data and requests within a wireless network.(Parker [0010])
Claim 20 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 1.
As to claim 12. Cammarota teaches A communications system comprising ([0022] Fig. 1, a communication system)
a first access point (AP) including: ([0022]Fig. 1, access point AP 110)
a plurality of different radios; ([0031]Fig. 1, AP operates in 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, 60 GHz)
an interface having a first IP address corresponding to the first AP; ([0024][0031] Fig. 1, AP assigned with IP address; AP 110, the one or more transceivers may include Wi-Fi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, cellular transceivers, and/or other suitable radio frequency (RF) transceivers )
an IP packet buffer used to supply packets to a used to supply packets to the plurality of different radios included in said first AP; ([0031][0047][0054] Fig. 4, memory 440 of AP, stores network traffic flow; processor sends flow/packet to transceiver/antenna from memory ; transceiver may communicate within a 2.4 GHz frequency band, within a 5 GHz frequency band in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 specification, within a 60 GHz frequency band,)
said first radio being one of said plurality of different radios; ([0031] Fig. 1, transceiver may communicate within a 2.4 GHz frequency band, within a 5 GHz frequency band in accordance with the IEEE 802.11 specification, within a 60 GHz frequency band/including first radio)
and
a first processor configured to operate the first access point to: ([0051] Fig. 4, AP includes processor, execute instruction stored in the memory)
receive, at the first access point (AP), during a normal mode of AP operation, ([0061] Fig. 1, an individual traffic flow may correspond to a TCP connection between AP 110 and a device external to WLAN 120 e.g., one of remote services 145)
IP packets that are directed to said first IP address ([0024][0031] Fig. 1, AP assigned with IP address; AP 110, the one or more transceivers may include Wi-Fi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, cellular transceivers, and/or other suitable radio frequency (RF) transceivers, AP uses IP address to communicate with remote service/ap receives packet using IP address)
and
which are to be transmitted to one or more User Equipment devices (UEs) which are receiving service from the first AP; ([0061]Fig. 1, packet transmitted to client device form AP, client devices receiving services from AP)
store the received IP packets in the IP packet buffer; ([024][0051] Fig. 4, AP store received IP data packets)
Cammarota does not teach a higher order medium access control (MAC) scheduler ;
a plurality of radio network MAC schedulers including a first MAC scheduler corresponding to a first radio,
operate the higher order common MAC scheduler to determine which of the plurality of radio network MAC schedulers is to schedule transmission of individual IP packets stored in the IP packet buffer; and
operate the first MAC scheduler to control a first radio at the first AP to transmit packets to a first UE over a first radio network
Parker teaches a higher order medium access control (MAC) scheduler ; ([0101][0102] MAC layer that it needs to set the destination MAC address as the broadcast address as every mobile device connected to the AP needs to receive and parse this information//AP assign destination MAC address, upper layer mac scheduler,.
a plurality of radio network MAC schedulers including a first MAC scheduler, ([0085] [0090][0111]AP includes plurality of MAC address client 1 IP address client 1 MAC address AP; AP uses (2.4 GHz) for communicating the webpage data packets)
corresponding to a first radio ([0112] Fig. 4, ]AP transmits frames to client device in 2.4 GHz);
said first radio being one of said plurality of different radios([0112] plurality of frequency band 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
operate the higher order common MAC scheduler to determine which of the plurality of radio network MAC schedulers is to schedule([0101][0102] AP mac layer determines destination MAC address of mobile device)
transmission of individual IP packets stored in the IP packet buffer; ([0094]-[0100] having retrieved the IP packet for the mobile device, the smart packet layer sends the IP packet on to the MAC layer. Since the IP packet is coming from Layer 3, the MAC layer does an ARP request to find the MAC address for the mobile device IP address as seen in the IP packet that it receives. The MAC layer then adds this MAC address as the destination MAC address, AP transmits the IP packet to mobile device)
and
operate the first MAC scheduler to control a first radio at the first AP to transmit packets to a first UE over a first radio network. ([0061][0090[0091] [0100]AP operates MAC address client 1 IP address client 1; in first radio 2.4 GHz, buffer contains the destination device's MAC address and the IP packet created/formulated at IP layer for the destination device. AP transmits the IP packet to mobile device)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Parker with the teaching of Cammarota because Parker teaches that having destination device's MAC address in the buffer, retrieving on demand using the IP address of the destination device would provide an improved route determination system and method in order to transmit data and requests within a wireless network.(Parker [0010])
Claim(s) 2, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cammarota, Parker and further in view of Kim et al. (KO 20210001083 A1) hereinafter Kim
As to claim 2. The combination of Cammarota and Parker does not teach
further comprising: operating the first access point to receive an acknowledgment from the first UE indicating that the first packet was successfully received by the first UE; and
operating the first access point to remove a first transmitted packet from the IP packet buffer in response to a receiving an acknowledgement from the first UE to which the first packet was transmitted indicating successful receipt of the first packet by the first UE.
Kim teaches further comprising: operating the first access point to receive an acknowledgment from the first UE indicating that the first packet was successfully received by the first UE ([0038][0041] The base station can initially transmit the first data packet to the terminal through the main component carrier (CC1, 410); base station (e.g., a HARQ entity) can receive an acknowledgment message (ACK message) for the initial transmission of a data packet from the terminal./successfully received packet)
operating the first access point to remove a first transmitted packet from the IP packet buffer in response to a receiving an acknowledgement from the first UE to which the first packet was transmitted indicating successful receipt of the first packet by the first UE. ([0068] the base station can initially transmit the first data packet to the terminal through the main component carrier ; The terminal can receive the first data packet from the base station and send an ACK message to the base station; The base station can discard data packets buffered in the RLC buffer )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Kim with the teaching of Cammarota and Parker because Kim teaches that selective data packet redundancy transmission can improve system performance by reducing wireless resource consumption. (kim [0008]
Claim 13 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 2.
Claim(s) 7, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cammarota, Parker and further in view of Salonidis et al. (US 20130272115 A1) hereinafter Salonidis
As to claim 7. The combination of Cammarota and Parker does not teach
further comprising: operating a Multi-Access Network Controller (MANC) to perform one or both of: i) detecting failure of one or more interconnectivity links between access points (APs); and ii) receiving a failure message from an AP indicating failure of a radio at the AP or indicating failure of a service network at the AP from which the message is received.
Salonidis teaches further comprising: operating a Multi-Access Network Controller (MANC) to perform one or both of: i) detecting failure of one or more interconnectivity links between access points (APs); and ii) receiving a failure message from an AP indicating failure of a radio at the AP or indicating failure of a service network at the AP from which the message is received. ([0073] processing means (or module) PM is also arranged, during each frame k, for refining the conflict graph CG(V,E) from detection of hidden interferer nodes based on detected failures of data transmissions between the nodes Ni during at least the previous frame k-1.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Salonidis with the teaching of Cammarota and Parker because Salonidis teaches that detecting failure of one or more interconnectivity links between access points would enables identifying and accurately taking into account hidden interferers in an adaptive manner in a centralized multi-hop wireless network. (Salonidis [0108])
Claim 18 is/are interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as set forth in claim 7.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 3-6,8-11, 14-17, 19 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claims 3, 4, 8, 10, 14, 15, 19 prior art Ho et al. [US 20240224076 A1] teaches in para [0075] Fig. 4, a single physical AP (e.g., first AP 406) may be capable of wireless communication with the STA 412 via one or more of multiple links (e.g., a first link via 2.4 GHZ, a second link via 5 GHZ, a third link via 6 GHZ, etc.). For example, the STA 412 may communicate with the first AP 406 using a 2.4 GHz link and a 5 GHZ link. In this example, the 2.4 GHz link and the 5 GHz link may be referred to as a “collocated set” corresponding to the links of a single AP that the STA uses for communication with the AP. The number and frequency of the links used may depend on STA 412 capabilities.
And in para [0076] In some examples, an AP may assign an identifier (e.g., “collocated ID”) to each collocated set of links. For example, a combination of a 2.4 GHz link and a 5 GHZ link may be associated with a first collocated ID, a combination of the 5 GHz link and a 6 GHz link may be associated with a second collocated ID, a combination of the 2.4 GHZ link and the 6 GHz link may be associated with a third collocated ID, and a combination of the 2.4 GHz link, the 5 GHz link, and the 6 GHz link may be associated with a fourth collocated ID.
And prior art Freda et al. [US 20230063472 A1] discloses in para [0058] A WLAN in Infrastructure Basic Service Set (BSS) mode may have an Access Point (AP) for the BSS and one or more stations (STAs) associated with the AP. The AP may have an access or an interface to a Distribution System (DS) or another type of wired/wireless network that carries traffic in to and/or out of the BSS. Traffic to STAs that originates from outside the BSS may arrive through the AP and may be delivered to the STAs. Traffic originating from STAs to destinations outside the BSS may be sent to the AP to be delivered to respective destinations.
Prior art Miao et al. [US 20230042022 A1] discloses in para [0016] In a third aspect, the present application provides a method for channel switching in a wireless mesh network, which is applied to a slave node in the wireless mesh network, the method comprises: receiving a channel switching command sent by a master node, wherein the channel switching command indicates switching from a channel to a target channel, and a frequency band of the target channel is different from a frequency band of the channel currently used by the slave node; performing channel switching according to the channel switching command; in a case of failing to switch to the target channel, exiting an invalid first mesh network where the slave node is currently located, and scanning and joining a second mesh network composed of nodes switched to the target channel.
However, combination or prior arts records Ho, Freda and Miao does not teach
For claims 3 and 14
operating the first access point to determine that transmission of a second packet to the first UE from the first radio was unsuccessful; and operating the higher order common MAC scheduler at the first AP to assign the second packet to a second MAC scheduler to schedule retransmission of the second packet stored in said IP packet buffer to the first UE over a second communications network, said second communications network being different from said first communications network; and
operating the second MAC scheduler to control a second radio at the first AP to transmit the second packet to the first UE over the second radio network.
for claims 4 and 15
said additional IP packet being a packet which is to be transmitted to an additional UB receiving service at said first AP but which is outside the range of said first radio and said second radio;
storing the additional IP packet in the IP packet buffer used to supply packets to a plurality of different radios; and
operating the higher order common MAC scheduler to assign the additional packet to a third MAC scheduler which is used to control a third radio at the first AP.
For claims 8 and 19,
operating the MANC, in response to the MANC detecting that all interconnectivity links of the first type to the first AP have failed, to instruct the first AP to switch from a normal mode of operation to a failure mode of operation in which received packets are assigned for transmission to the second and third service networks at the first AP without first being assigned to the first service network for transmission.
For claim 10
operating the MANC, in response to the MANC receiving a failure message indicating a first radio failure at the first AP or a first service network failure at the first AP, to instruct the first AP to switch from a normal mode of operation to a failure mode of operation in which received packets are assigned for transmission to the second and third service networks at the first AP without first being assigned to the first service network for transmission.
Therefore, claims 3-6,8-11, 14-17, 19 independently would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the objections set forth in this office action and in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
ELSHERIF; Ahmed Ragab et al. [US 20240284301 A1] SEAMLESS TRANSITIONS FOR EXTENDED PERSONAL AREA NETWORK (XPAN) COVERAGE
Wu; Lu et al. [US 11903003 B2] Method and device used in UE and base station for wireless communication
Kneckt; Jarkko L. et al. [US 20240007846 A1] Enhanced Address Changing for Wireless Networking Systems
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/ATIQUE AHMED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2413
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