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 § 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 2, 4, 10, 12, 14, (dependent claims 3-4, 13-14 also being rejected since they are dependent upon rejected claims set forth) is 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Dependent claim 2 recites the subject matter of “a beacon signal” in line 3. However independent claim 1 introduces “a beacon signal” in line 9. It is thus unclear if “a beacon signal” of claim 2 should be considered different or the same beacon signal as introduced by independent claim 1. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Dependent claim 2 recites “the beacon signal” in line 5. It is unclear if “the beacon signal” is referring to “a beacon signal” introduced in claim 2 (line 3) or claim 1 (line 9). Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Dependent claim 2 recites “a subsequent beacon signal” in lines 8-9. It is unclear if “a subsequent beacon signal” should be considered the same as “a beacon signal” in which begins a second transmit opportunity as introduced in independent claim 1 or a different beacon signal. It should be noted that Figure 3 of Applicant’s Drawings illustrates a single beacon signal between second transmit opportunities of the coordinator only period. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the respective parameters" in lines 7-8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the Precision Time Protocol (PTP)" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Dependent claim 12 recites the subject matter of “a beacon signal” in line 3. However independent claim 11 introduces “a beacon signal” in line 12. It is thus unclear if “a beacon signal” of claim 12 should be considered different or the same beacon signal as introduced by independent claim 11. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Dependent claim 12 recites “the beacon signal” in line 5. It is unclear if “the beacon signal” is referring to “a beacon signal” introduced in claim 12 (line 3) or claim 11 (line 12). Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Dependent claim 12 recites “a subsequent beacon signal” in lines 7-8. It is unclear if “a subsequent beacon signal” should be considered the same as “a beacon signal” in which begins a second transmit opportunity as introduced in independent claim 11 or a different beacon signal. It should be noted that Figure 3 of Applicant’s Drawings illustrates a single beacon signal between second transmit opportunities of the coordinator only period. Examiner suggests clarifying such subject matter.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the respective parameters" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 5-9, 11, 15-20 is allowed.
1, 11 are allowable over the prior art of record since the cited references taken individually or in combination fail to particularly disclose determining, at a coordinator communication device, that a time period is to begin during which only the coordinator communication device will have opportunities to transmit, the time period comprising a plurality of second time cycles, each second time cycle i) beginning with the coordinator communication device transmitting a beacon signal and ii) including a second transmit opportunity that follows the beacon signal, the second transmit opportunity for the coordinator communication device; transmitting, by the coordinator communication device, one or more signals to follower communication devices to prompt the follower communication devices to refrain from transmitting during the time period. It is noted that the closest prior art, Huang et al. (US 2024/0276479) discloses a coordinator communication device operates in a communication network according to a communication protocol that defines repeating time cycles and specifies that each of multiple communication devices is provided a respective transmit opportunity in each time cycle. However the stated prior art fails to disclose or render obvious to the above underline limitations as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sostawa et al. (US 2019/0363991) disclosing a given transmission cycle may include a least one send slot for each of the network nodes to send data ([0005])
Iyer et al. (US 2020/0351943) disclosing a beacon (e.g., generated via a master node) may initiate a bus cycle, and each node of the network has a transmit opportunity (TO) (e.g., 2 bytes), which TO may be allocated in order of its ID (i.e., in a round robin fashion) during the bus cycle ([0041]).
Michel et al. (US 2025/0132951) disclosing a second coordinator node being configured to open a plurality of separate transmission opportunities each with a unique PLCA identifier from a pool of PLCA identifiers provided by the second coordinator, each PLCA identifier being assignable by the second coordinator to a unique physical identifier each provided by a respective node, each transmission opportunity allowing only one of said nodes to send data to the network at any one time ([0011]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NGUYEN HOANG NGO whose telephone number is (571)272-8398. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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/NGUYEN H NGO/Examiner, Art Unit 2473
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