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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-7 and 12-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vecera et al. (Vecera), U.S. Publication No. 2020/0358660.
Regarding Claim 1, Vecera discloses a method comprising:
obtaining wireless network topology information (i.e., testing parameters; see
paragraph [0023]) including a plurality of attributes related to at least two wireless devices and a physical space in which the at least two wireless devices are to be deployed in a wireless network in the physical space (i.e., the parameters may correspond to the topology of the distributed network that is to be simulated. For example, the parameters may include the computing devices, routers, internet connections, IoT devices, etc., that are to be utilized in the distributed network; see paragraphs [0023] and [0027]);
generating a virtual wireless network of the wireless network in a network simulation based on the wireless network topology information (i.e., the testing parameters 210, the virtual network configurator 136 generates a topology for a virtual network 220 in view of the received testing parameters 210. The virtual network topology is generated to correspond to the real world topology of the distributed network.; see paragraphs [0024] and [0028]); and
determining signal attenuation characteristics (i.e., packet losses; see paragraph [0027]) with respect to the at least two wireless devices in the virtual wireless network to evaluate operation of the wireless network in the physical space (i.e., identify any potential issues, such as errors, with the topology of the distributed system and take appropriate corrective actions; see paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claim 13, Vecera discloses an apparatus (i.e., computer
system 600; see figure 6) comprising:
a memory (i.e., memory 604; see figure 6);
a network interface configured to enable network communications (i.e., network
interface device 608; see figure 6); and
a processor (i.e., processing device 602; see figure 6), wherein the processor
is configured to perform a method comprising:
obtaining wireless network topology information (i.e., testing parameters; see
paragraph [0023]) including a plurality of attributes related to at least two wireless devices and a physical space in which the at least two wireless devices are to be deployed in a wireless network in the physical space (i.e., the parameters may correspond to the topology of the distributed network that is to be simulated. For example, the parameters may include the computing devices, routers, internet connections, IoT devices, etc., that are to be utilized in the distributed network; see paragraphs [0023] and [0027]);
generating a virtual wireless network of the wireless network in a network simulation based on the wireless network topology information (i.e., the testing parameters 210, the virtual network configurator 136 generates a topology for a virtual network 220 in view of the received testing parameters 210. The virtual network topology is generated to correspond to the real world topology of the distributed network.; see paragraphs [0024] and [0028]); and
determining signal attenuation characteristics (i.e., packet losses; see paragraph [0027]) with respect to the at least two wireless devices in the virtual wireless network to evaluate operation of the wireless network in the physical space (i.e., identify any potential issues, such as errors, with the topology of the distributed system and take appropriate corrective actions; see paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claim 17, Vecera discloses one or more non-transitory computer
readable storage media encoded with software (i.e., non-transitory computer-readable storage medium 628; see paragraphs [0050] and [0051]) comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method including:
obtaining wireless network topology information (i.e., testing parameters; see
paragraph [0023]) including a plurality of attributes related to at least two wireless devices and a physical space in which the at least two wireless devices are to be deployed in a wireless network in the physical space (i.e., the parameters may correspond to the topology of the distributed network that is to be simulated. For example, the parameters may include the computing devices, routers, internet connections, IoT devices, etc., that are to be utilized in the distributed network; see paragraphs [0023] and [0027]);
generating a virtual wireless network of the wireless network in a network simulation based on the wireless network topology information (i.e., the testing parameters 210, the virtual network configurator 136 generates a topology for a virtual network 220 in view of the received testing parameters 210. The virtual network topology is generated to correspond to the real world topology of the distributed network.; see paragraphs [0024] and [0028]); and
determining signal attenuation characteristics (i.e., packet losses; see paragraph [0027]) with respect to the at least two wireless devices in the virtual wireless network to evaluate operation of the wireless network in the physical space (i.e., identify any potential issues, such as errors, with the topology of the distributed system and take appropriate corrective actions; see paragraph [0030]).
Regarding Claims 2, 14 and 18, Vecera discloses further comprising:
configuring a wireless device in the wireless network based on determining the signal attenuation characteristics in the network simulation (i.e., defines one or more rules for the transmission of packets; see paragraph [0029]).
Regarding Claims 3, 15 and 19, Vecera discloses wherein generating the virtual
wireless network includes: emulating a wireless access point and a wireless client device to provide a virtual wireless access point and a virtual wireless client device in the virtual wireless network; and establishing a virtual wireless connection between the virtual wireless access point and the virtual wireless client device in the network simulation (see paragraphs [0024] and [0028]).
Regarding Claims 4, 16 and 20, Vecera discloses wherein determining the
signal attenuation characteristics includes: adding, via a user interface, one or more interference factors in the network simulation; measuring the signal attenuation characteristics associated with movement of the virtual wireless client device in the virtual wireless network; and determining performance of the virtual wireless network based on the signal attenuation characteristics (see paragraphs [0035]-[0036]).
Regarding Claim 5, Vecera discloses wherein the one or more interference
factors involve a plurality of virtual objects being added to the network simulation and representing physical objects or structures in the physical space (see paragraphs [0035]-[0036]).
Regarding Claim 6, Vecera discloses wherein determining the signal attenuation
characteristics includes: obtaining, via a user interface, input data related to a roaming of the wireless client device between virtual wireless access points in the network simulation; moving the virtual wireless client device to one or more locations in the network simulation based on the input data; and measuring the signal attenuation characteristics of the virtual wireless client device at each of the one or more locations in the network simulation (see paragraphs [0035]-[0038]).
Regarding Claim 7, Vecera discloses further comprising: obtaining, via the user
interface, one or more reconfiguration instructions based on measuring of the signal attenuation characteristics at the one or more locations, wherein the one or more reconfiguration instructions involve adding an additional wireless access point or changing one or more of wireless network transmission parameters including a signal strength or a range of a respective virtual wireless access point in the virtual wireless network of the network simulation (see paragraphs [0035]-[0038]).
Regarding Claim 12, Vecera discloses wherein determining the signal
attenuation characteristics of the at least two wireless devices includes: generating a signal attenuation model based on measuring latency of one or more virtual traffic data frames propagating between the at least two wireless devices in the network simulation (see paragraph [0027]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-11 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHANTELL LAKETA HEIBER whose telephone number is (571)272-0886. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 9am to 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anthony Addy, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7795. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SHANTELL L HEIBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2645
January 24, 2026