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
This communication is in response to applicant’s 03/16/2026 amendment or response in the application of XIE et al. for “Enhanced Bluetooth Low Energy Broadcast” filed 08/28/2023. The amendment or response to the claims have been entered. No claims have been canceled. No claims have been added. Claims 1-20 are now pending.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-8, 11-14, 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN (US 2011/0051743 A1) in view of LU et al. (US 2007/0197256 A1), hereinafter LU.
Regarding claim 1, CHEN discloses a wireless system (a polling system 800, see figure 8), comprising:
a central device (Master MA, see figure 8), comprising: circuitry to transmit, on a repeating, fixed schedule, a broadcast message for reception by a plurality of peripheral devices, the repeating, fixed schedule comprising a central communication window for the central device to transmit and a plurality of peripheral communication windows for the plurality of peripheral devices to transmit (the master MA send the polling packet SPP of the predetermined protocol in the time slot TS0 for the Slave SL1…SLM, see ¶ 0029); and
circuitry to receive, during the plurality of peripheral communication windows, response messages from one or more of the plurality of peripheral devices according to the repeating, fixed schedule (the MA receives the Slave SL1…SLM sending the responding packets RP1...RPM respectively in the responding time slots TS1..TSM, by means of the method illustrated in FIG. 6, see ¶ 0029); and
the plurality of peripheral devices (Slave SL1… SLM, see figure 8), each of the peripheral devices comprising: circuitry to listen for the broadcast message during the central communication window (the Slave SL receives the SPP from the MA in the predetermined protocol in assigned time slots, see ¶ 0029 and figures 4-8);
circuitry to receive the broadcast message; circuitry to extract a sub-message from the broadcast message (each Slave SL receives the SPP from the MA in the predetermined protocol in assigned time slots, see ¶ 0029 and figures 4-8);
circuitry to determine whether a message should be transmitted in response to the broadcast message (the SL sending the responding packet in the responding time slot, see ¶ 0029, figure 6); and
if a message should be transmitted in response to the broadcast message, circuitry to transmit the message during a peripheral communication window assigned to that peripheral device (the SL sending the responding packet in the responding time slot, see ¶ 0029, figure 6).
CHEN fails to disclose the plurality of peripheral communication windows comprises a first peripheral communication window of a first duration and a second peripheral communication window of a second duration, and wherein the first and second durations are not equal.
In the same field of endeavor, LU discloses in a flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the operation time of the wireless communication device 10 may be divided into time slots with flexible length. WLAN and Bluetooth operations may each take one or multiple slots at a time to transmit or receive… In one embodiment of the present invention adopting the flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the length of the time slot can be decided by the real-time performance requirement of the wireless communication device 10. For instance, if the wireless communication device 10 is operating under a scenario that the WLAN performance is more critical than Bluetooth performance, the length of the time slot when the wireless communication device 10 is performing WLAN operations can be dynamically enlarged to long enough for sustaining the WLAN performance requirement. Once the wireless communication device 10 believes that the WLAN performance requirement is met in the middle of a time slot, the single transceiver 14 can switch to perform Bluetooth operations without waiting for the edge of the time slot (see ¶ 0028).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement LU’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN to provide a single transceiver supporting multiple communication protocols, such as WLAN and Bluetooth, while at the same time reducing the interference generated therebetween.
Regarding claim 2, CHEN discloses a device (the master MA, see ¶ 0029 and figure 8), comprising:
circuitry to transmit, on a repeating, fixed schedule, a broadcast message for reception by a plurality of peripheral devices (Slave SL1…SLM, see figure 8), the repeating, fixed schedule comprising a central communication window for the device to transmit and a plurality of peripheral communication windows for the plurality of peripheral devices to transmit (the MA send the polling packet SPP of the predetermined protocol in the time slot TS0 for the Slave SL1…SLM, see ¶ 0029) and
circuitry to receive, during the plurality of peripheral communication windows, response messages from one or more of the plurality of peripheral devices (the MA receives the Slave SL1…SLM sending the responding packets RP1...RPM respectively in the responding time slots TS1..TSM, by means of the method illustrated in FIG. 6, see 0029).
CHEN fails to disclose the plurality of peripheral communication windows comprises a first peripheral communication window of a first duration and a second peripheral communication window of a second duration, and wherein the first and second durations are not equal.
In the same field of endeavor, LU discloses in a flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the operation time of the wireless communication device 10 may be divided into time slots with flexible length. WLAN and Bluetooth operations may each take one or multiple slots at a time to transmit or receive… In one embodiment of the present invention adopting the flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the length of the time slot can be decided by the real-time performance requirement of the wireless communication device 10. For instance, if the wireless communication device 10 is operating under a scenario that the WLAN performance is more critical than Bluetooth performance, the length of the time slot when the wireless communication device 10 is performing WLAN operations can be dynamically enlarged to long enough for sustaining the WLAN performance requirement. Once the wireless communication device 10 believes that the WLAN performance requirement is met in the middle of a time slot, the single transceiver 14 can switch to perform Bluetooth operations without waiting for the edge of the time slot (see ¶ 0028).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement LU’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN to provide a single transceiver supporting multiple communication protocols, such as WLAN and Bluetooth, while at the same time reducing the interference generated therebetween.
Regarding claim 3, CHEN discloses the device further comprises circuitry to transmit the broadcast message using Bluetooth LE (the polling system 800 support Bluetooth protocol, see ¶ 0029).
Regarding claim 5, CHEN discloses the broadcast message comprises a plurality of sub-messages, the plurality of sub-messages comprising a first sub-message for reception by a first peripheral device and a second sub-message for reception by a second peripheral device (each TS in the polling frame is considered as sub-message for each slave… the TS1… TSM corresponding to SL1… SLM…, see figures 4-7).
Regarding claim 6, CHEN discloses the plurality of peripheral devices is a predetermined group of peripheral devices (the predetermined protocol enables the master to send one single polling packet for the set of the slaves, which support the predetermined protocol, of the plurality of the slaves, responding in sequence. The master and the plurality of slaves belong to a Bluetooth piconet, see ¶ 0007 figure 2 and ¶ 0022 for detail).
Regarding claim 7, CHEN discloses circuitry to remove a peripheral device from the predetermined group of peripheral devices, in response to an event selected from a group consisting of: the device receiving a message from the peripheral device requesting removal from the group (the master MA removes SL3 and SL4 for not supporting the predetermined protocol, see figure 4 and ¶ 0024 for detail; the master MA remove or didn’t poll the SL4 for not supporting the predetermined protocol, see figure 5 and ¶ 0025 for detail); or the device failing to receive a message from the peripheral device for a specified number of cycles of the repeating, fixed schedule.
Regarding claim 8, CHEN discloses to modify the repeating, fixed schedule to remove, from the repeating, fixed schedule, a peripheral communication window assigned to the peripheral device removed from the group (the master MA removes SL3 and SL4 for not supporting the predetermined protocol, see figure 4 and ¶ 0024 for detail; the master MA removes or didn’t poll the SL4 for not supporting the predetermined protocol, see figure 5 and ¶ 0025 for detail and figures 6-7).
Regarding claim 11, CHEN discloses to create the predetermined group of peripheral devices (the master known in advance how many slaves in the Bluetooth piconet by sending Query in supporting phase: the master MA build a group of slaves the supporting of the predetermined protocol and non-supporting slaves based on the response, see figure 2 and see ¶ 0021 for detail).
Regarding claim 12, CHEN discloses the group is created based on a prior connection link between the central device and each of the plurality of peripheral devices (the master known in advance how many slaves in the Bluetooth piconet by sending Query in supporting phase: the master MA build a group of slaves the supporting of the predetermined protocol and non-supporting slaves based on the response, see figure 2 and see ¶ 0021 for detail).
Regarding claim 13, CHEN discloses circuitry to establish one or more communication parameters for the group of peripheral devices, the one or more communication parameters selected from the group consisting of:
a timing of each of the communication windows in the repeating, fixed schedule (each time slot is 625 µs or Bluetooth standard time slot, see ¶ 0005, 0021, 0024);
an order of the communication windows in the repeating, fixed schedule (the M slaves are utilized for sending M first responding packets in M first responding time slots, respectively, according to the first polling packet and M responding orders of the M slaves, see ¶ 0009);
a maximum size of messages transmitted by the peripheral devices; a shared security key for the group of peripheral devices; or one or more individual security keys specific to individual peripheral devices.
Regarding claim 14, CHEN discloses each of the communication windows in the repeating, fixed schedule is defined by a fixed length of time (each time slot is 625 µs) or Bluetooth standard time slot, see ¶ 0005, 0021, 0024).
Regarding claim 16, CHEN discloses each of the communication windows in the repeating, fixed schedule is defined by a message payload size (the SL1 and SL2 are assigned TS1, TS5 and TS2 and TS6, respectively based on the message length, see figure 4 and ¶ 0024 for detail)
Regarding claim 17, CHEN discloses a device (any of Slave SL1… SLM, see figure 8), comprising:
circuitry to listen for a broadcast message from a central device (Master MA, see figure 8) according to a repeating, fixed schedule, the repeating, fixed schedule comprising a central communication window for a central device and a plurality of peripheral communication windows for a plurality of peripheral devices (the slave SL receives a cycle T, from Master MA, comprises of a plurality of timeslots TS for polling the slaves SL1… SLM, see figures 4-8);
circuitry to receive the broadcast message during the central communication window (the master MA send the polling packet SPP of the predetermined protocol in the time slot TS0 for the Slave SL1…SLM, see ¶ 0029); circuitry to extract a sub-message from the broadcast message;
circuitry to determine whether a message should be transmitted in response to the broadcast message (the SL sending the responding packet in the responding time slot, see ¶ 0029, figure 6);
and if a message should be transmitted for reception by the central device, circuitry to transmit the message during a specific one of the peripheral communication windows, wherein the specific one of the communication windows is assigned to the device (the SL sending the responding packet in the responding time slot, see ¶ 0029, figure 6).
CHEN fails to disclose the plurality of peripheral communication windows comprises a first peripheral communication window of a first duration and a second peripheral communication window of a second duration, and wherein the first and second durations are not equal.
In the same field of endeavor, LU discloses in a flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the operation time of the wireless communication device 10 may be divided into time slots with flexible length. WLAN and Bluetooth operations may each take one or multiple slots at a time to transmit or receive… In one embodiment of the present invention adopting the flexible-length time slot sharing scheme, the length of the time slot can be decided by the real-time performance requirement of the wireless communication device 10. For instance, if the wireless communication device 10 is operating under a scenario that the WLAN performance is more critical than Bluetooth performance, the length of the time slot when the wireless communication device 10 is performing WLAN operations can be dynamically enlarged to long enough for sustaining the WLAN performance requirement. Once the wireless communication device 10 believes that the WLAN performance requirement is met in the middle of a time slot, the single transceiver 14 can switch to perform Bluetooth operations without waiting for the edge of the time slot (see ¶ 0028).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement LU’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN to provide a single transceiver supporting multiple communication protocols, such as WLAN and Bluetooth, while at the same time reducing the interference generated therebetween.
Regarding claim 18, CHEN discloses circuitry to stop receiving for a remainder of the central communication window after the first sub-message has been extracted; and circuitry to remain idle until a peripheral communication window assigned to the device (the master MA querying each slave for determining if the slaves support the predetermined protocol in a query-supporting phase and assign address accordingly, see ¶ 0021 and figure 2; the SL3 and SL4 remain idle since the devices didn’t support the predetermined protocol, see figure 4 and ¶ 0024).
Regarding claim 19, CHEN discloses circuitry to remain idle during a first portion of the central communication window; and circuitry to begin receiving the broadcast message during a second portion of the central communication window, the second portion corresponding to the sub-message (figure 4 show in TS0 both SL1 and SL2 remain idle and SL1 receive message in TS1 or SL2 receives message in TS2, see 0021 for detail).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN in view of LIU et al. (US 2021/0051459 A1), hereinafter LIU.
Regarding claim 4, CHEN fails to disclose the broadcast message comprises a single packet encapsulating content directed to each of the plurality of peripheral devices.
In the same field of endeavor, LIU discloses broadcast message in a Bluetooth may be encapsulating a broadcast data packet before broadcasting in the broadcast data packet (see ¶ 0060).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement LIU’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN encapsulating broadcast packets in Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)—particularly through mechanisms like Periodic Advertising (PADVB) and Periodic Advertising with Responses (PAwR)—offers significant advantages, including drastically reduced power consumption, support for massive, one-to-many communication, and enhanced data security.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN in view of XIE et al. (US 2017/0141999 A1), hereinafter XIE.
Regarding claim 15, CHEN fails to disclose that the fixed length of time is a multiple of a Bluetooth half slot boundary.
In the same field of endeavor, XIE discloses the time between the beginning of each packet transmission can be preconfigured to be the same, e.g. a fixed time between the respective transmissions. This is illustrated as times T1, T2, T3, and T4 in FIG. 4a. In one example T1=T2=T3=T4. In one example, times T1=T2=T3=T4 can be 312.5 μs, which is a half slot time in the Bluetooth standard. Alternatively, times T1=T2=T3=T4 can be 625 μs, which is one slot time in the Bluetooth standard (see ¶ 0041).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement XIE’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN to comply with a single master clock tick in classic Bluetooth, where the 312.5 µs interval is the duration of a single master clock tick.
Claim(s) 9-10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHEN in view of POLO et al. (US 2016/0088424 A1), hereinafter POLO.
Regarding claims 9-10 and 20, CHEN fails to disclose circuitry to encrypt the broadcast message with a first security key distributed to the group of peripheral devices; the broadcast message comprises a plurality of sub-messages, the plurality of sub-messages comprising a first sub-message for reception by a first peripheral device and a second sub-message for reception by a second peripheral device; the device further comprises: circuitry to encrypt the first sub-message with a second security key specific to the first peripheral device; and circuitry to encrypt the second sub-message with a third security key specific to the second peripheral device.
In the same field of endeavor, POLO discloses when a device is to be associated into the BLE automation mesh network 101, an administrator device may assign a mesh network key to the device. For example, the administrator device that assigns the mesh network key to the device may also assign a node ID to the device. The mesh network key may be utilized by each device of the BLE automation mesh network 101 to allow secure communications within the BLE automation mesh network 101. The mesh network key is shared by each of the devices of the BLE automation mesh network 101 and may be referred to as a network-wide key. When two devices of the BLE automation mesh network 101 are to be associated with each other within the BLE automation mesh network 101, the two devices may request that an administrator device assign a pair-wise key and the administrator device may assign the pair-wise key. The pair-wise key facilitates point-to-point access control within the BLE automation mesh network 101. Payloads with the BLE automation mesh network 101 may utilize encryption and message authentication. The payloads may be encrypted and signed using AES-CCM (Advanced Encryption Standard Counter with Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code) encryption and message authentication (see ¶ 0036).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to implement POLO’s teaching in the network taught by CHEN to provide network security where a common encryption key provides access to a group of authorized users or systems, while a specific encryption key (also known as a user encryption key) restricts access solely to a single, designated user.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bob A. Phunkulh whose telephone number is (571) 272-3083. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. (first week of the bi-week) and Monday-Friday (for second week of the bi-week).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor CHARLES C. JIANG can be reach on (571) 270-7191.
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/BOB A PHUNKULH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412
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