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
Claims 1-20 received on 2/2/2024 have been examined, of which claims 1 and 11 are independent.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10, 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites two recitations of “wireless communication channel” in preamble and first limitation of claim 1. It is unclear if both the limitations refer to same or different channel.
- Further, claim 2 recites “the wireless communication channel”, which makes it unclear, which recitation of “wireless communication channel” is further limited (from claim 1 preamble, first limitation and claim 2 preamble).
- Claim 7, 10 is rejected for similar reason as claim 2.
- Further, claims 2-10 recite “wireless communication channel” in preamble, which causes clarity issue if the channel is same or different from channel of claim 1.
- The examiner suggests to amend first limitation of claim 1, preamble of claims 2-10 to “the wireless communication channel” to overcome the issue. Alternatively, the preamble of claims 2-10 could be amended to “the method
- Dependent claims are rejected for same reasons.
Claim 3, 8, 13, 18 and 20 recite “the channel state parameters”, which is preceded by “plurality of channel state parameters”. It is unclear if both the limitations refer to same parameters or different.
- Further, claim 3, 13 recite “ recording the total number of interruptions due to the idle channel evaluation signal that is stopped during the random back-off period”. It is unclear if “that is stopped” refers to “interruptions that is stopped” or “idle channel evaluation signal that is stopped”. Dependent claims are rejected for same reasons.
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) 1-2, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (US 2022/0210829)
Regarding claim 1, Kim teaches a method for detecting wireless communication channel (fig. 4; abstract: a method for operating a first communication node in a wireless communication network, comprising -performing a channel sensing operation in the first channel and a second channel), comprising:
detecting a wireless communication signal of a wireless communication channel by a wireless communication device to determine whether to generate an idle channel evaluation signal (para 92: when the channel state is determined to be busy during the predetermined period (e.g., SIFS or PIFS), the communication node may be configured not to transmit a control frame (or management frame), the carrier sensing operation may be referred to as a clear channel assessment (CCA) operation);
counting a random back-off period by the wireless communication device according to the idle channel evaluation signal (fig 4; para 94: a communication node intending to transmit a QoS data frame may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on a channel state during an arbitration IFS (AIFS), when the channel state is determined to be idle during an AIFS, the communication node may be configured to perform a random backoff procedure; para 96 and table 2 describe backoff value based on access category/QOS);
recording a plurality of channel state parameters by the wireless communication device (para 212: if the primary channel is idle during the preset AIFS period and the secondary channel is occupied by another communication node, the communication node may compare a channel occupancy ratio of the primary channel with a channel occupancy ratio of the secondary channel, the channel occupancy ratio may indicate a channel occupancy ratio (%) during a predetermined time and the number of terminals having performed transmission during the predetermined time; here, a channel occupancy ratio of the primary channel with a channel occupancy ratio of the secondary channel and number of terminals having performed transmission during the predetermined time are considered plurality of channel state parameters);
generating a channel state result according to the plurality of channel state parameters by the wireless communication device (para 97: the communication node may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on the channel state during a backoff period, and transmit the QoS data frame when the channel state is determined to be idle during the backoff period; para 212: the channel occupancy ratio may be the value reported periodically by the communication node as it is or a value notified again by the upper layer through statistics); and
determining an operation mode of the wireless communication device according to the channel state result (para 97: the communication node may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on the channel state during a backoff period, and transmit the QoS data frame when the channel state is determined to be idle during the backoff period).
Regarding claim 2, Kim further teaches wherein detecting the wireless communication signal of the wireless communication channel by the wireless communication device to determine whether to generate the idle channel evaluation signal (para 92: when the channel state is determined to be busy during the predetermined period (e.g., SIFS or PIFS), the communication node may be configured not to transmit a control frame (or management frame), the carrier sensing operation may be referred to as a clear channel assessment (CCA) operation) comprises:
generating the idle channel evaluation signal by the wireless communication device to stop counting the random back-off period if the wireless communication signal is detected (para 154: the communication node may detect the occupancy state of the secondary channel during the AIFS or during the random backoff operation on the 20 MHz channel, when a 10 MHz frame transmission operation using only the primary channel is allowed, the communication node recognizing that the secondary channel is busy may continue the random backoff operation on the 10 MHz primary channel of the 20 MHz channel (i.e., t3 to t4), and may stop the random backoff operation on the secondary channel); and
counting an arbitration inter-frame space period and continuing to count the random back-off period by the wireless communication device if the wireless communication signal is not detected (para 94: a communication node intending to transmit a QoS data frame may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on a channel state during an arbitration IFS (AIFS), when the channel state is determined to be idle during an AIFS, the communication node may be configured to perform a random backoff procedure).
Regarding claim 10, Kim further teaches wherein a channel type of the wireless communication channel comprises one of a voice data channel, a video data channel, a best effort data channel and a background data channel (para 94-95 and table 1: the AIFS may be set based on an access category (AC) of a data unit (e.g., protocol data unit (PDU)) included in the QoS data frame on channel, including background, best effort, video or voice data).
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, 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.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2022/0210829) in view of Hu et al. (US 20200314907)
Regarding claim 11, Kim teaches a wireless communication device (abstract: a first communication node), comprising:
a channel detection circuit (para 76-78: fig 2, a communication node 200 may include at least one processor 210, a memory 220, methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may be performed by the processor 210), configured to detect a wireless communication signal of a wireless communication channel to determine whether to generate an idle channel evaluation signal (para 92: when the channel state is determined to be busy during the predetermined period (e.g., SIFS or PIFS), the communication node may be configured not to transmit a control frame (or management frame), the carrier sensing operation may be referred to as a clear channel assessment (CCA) operation);
a random back-off circuit (para 76-78: fig 2, a communication node 200 may include at least one processor 210, a memory 220 and methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure), coupled to the channel detection circuit (fig 2), and configured to count a random back-off period according to the idle channel evaluation signa (fig 4; para 94: a communication node intending to transmit a QoS data frame may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on a channel state during an arbitration IFS (AIFS), when the channel state is determined to be idle during an AIFS, the communication node may be configured to perform a random backoff procedure; para 96 and table 2 describe backoff value based on access category/QOS)l;
a channel congestion statistics circuit (para 76-78: fig 2, a communication node 200 may include at least one processor 210, a memory 220 and methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure), coupled to the random back-off circuit (fig 2), and configured to record a plurality of channel state parameters of the random back-off period (para 212: if the primary channel is idle during the preset AIFS period and the secondary channel is occupied by another communication node, the communication node may compare a channel occupancy ratio of the primary channel with a channel occupancy ratio of the secondary channel, the channel occupancy ratio may indicate a channel occupancy ratio (%) during a predetermined time and the number of terminals having performed transmission during the predetermined time; here, a channel occupancy ratio of the primary channel with a channel occupancy ratio of the secondary channel and number of terminals having performed transmission during the predetermined time are considered plurality of channel state parameters);
a channel congestion analysis circuit (para 76-78: fig 2, a communication node 200 may include at least one processor 210, a memory 220 and methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure), coupled to the channel congestion statistics circuit (fig 2), and configured to generate a channel state result according to the plurality of channel state parameters (para 97: the communication node may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on the channel state during a backoff period, and transmit the QoS data frame when the channel state is determined to be idle during the backoff period; para 212: the channel occupancy ratio may be the value reported periodically by the communication node as it is or a value notified again by the upper layer through statistics); and
a situational decision circuit (para 76-78: fig 2, a communication node 200 may include at least one processor 210, a memory 220 and methods in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure), coupled to the channel congestion analysis circuit (fig 2), and configured to determine an operation mode of the wireless communication device according to the channel state result (para 97: the communication node may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on the channel state during a backoff period, and transmit the QoS data frame when the channel state is determined to be idle during the backoff period).
Kim teaches the communication node to perform the channel sensing and clear channel assessment. Kim teaches the node comprising processor and memory, but does not teach functional units/ circuits to perform different functionality. Hu is directed to grouping channel detection parameters for detecting if channel is idle (abstract).
Hu further teaches a wireless communication device (fig 1-14 include a structural block diagrams of a device for a wireless communication system), comprising:
a channel detection circuit (channel detecting unit 1005, fig 5),
a random back-off circuit, coupled to the channel detection circuit (channel detecting unit 1005, fig 5; para 102: the energy detection involving random back-off includes an initial detection phase, a random back-off phase and an additional defer phase. As shown in FIG. 12),
a channel congestion statistics circuit, coupled to the random back-off circuit (grouping information generating unit 1002, fig 5),
a channel congestion analysis circuit, coupled to the channel congestion statistics circuit (controlling unit 503, fig 6),
a situational decision circuit, coupled to the channel congestion analysis circuit (uplink scheduling grant generating unit 1003, fig 5). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine channel sensing operation as taught by Kim with functional units of device to perform the channel detection and grouping as taught by Hu for the benefit of improving accuracy of the channel detection as taught by Hu in para 62.
Regarding claim 12, Kim further teaches wherein if the wireless communication signal is detected, the channel detection circuit is further configured to generate the idle channel evaluation signal to stop the random back-off circuit from counting the random back-off period (para 154: the communication node may detect the occupancy state of the secondary channel during the AIFS or during the random backoff operation on the 20 MHz channel, when a 10 MHz frame transmission operation using only the primary channel is allowed, the communication node recognizing that the secondary channel is busy may continue the random backoff operation on the 10 MHz primary channel of the 20 MHz channel (i.e., t3 to t4), and may stop the random backoff operation on the secondary channel), wherein the wireless communication signal is not detected, the random back-off circuit is configured to count an arbitration inter-frame space period and continue to count the random back-off period (para 94: a communication node intending to transmit a QoS data frame may be configured to perform a monitoring operation (e.g., carrier sensing operation) on a channel state during an arbitration IFS (AIFS), when the channel state is determined to be idle during an AIFS, the communication node may be configured to perform a random backoff procedure).
Claims 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (US 2022/0210829) in view of Hu et al. (US 20200314907) in further view of Saed et al. (US 20160295509)
Regarding claim 20, Kim in view of Hu teaches the limitation of parent claim. The references Kim and Hu teach memory, but do not teach database to store channel state parameters. Saed is directed to determining inactivity timeout using distributed coordinated function.
Saed further teaches a channel congestion statistics database (para 72: a CW database), coupled between the channel congestion statistics circuit and the channel congestion analysis circuit (para 72: the communications manager 515-a may include a DCF manager or controller, a CW history generator, and a CW database), and configured to store the channel state parameters (para 72: a CW database (e.g., storing the available/defined CW values, a CW history, etc.)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine channel sensing operation as taught by Kim and Hu with database for storing channel state parameters as taught by Saed for the benefit of improving power saving for a device of a wireless network as taught by Saed in abstract.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9, 13-19 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 RINA C PANCHOLI whose telephone number is (571)272-2679. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30am-4pm.
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/RINA C PANCHOLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 5/12/2026
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