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 .
This Office action is in response to the amendment filed on 12/29/2025.
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BAEK et al. (US 2023/0422234 A1), in view of BAEK et al. (US 2024/0114455 A1), CHITRAKAR et al. (US 2024/0032089 A1).
As to claims 1 and 8, BAEK discloses the invention as claimed, including a wireless station (STA) device (Fig. 1, 120; ¶0047) comprising:
a transceiver (Fig. 1, 123; ¶0045); and
a processor (Fig. 1, 121) operably coupled to the transceiver (Fig. 1, 123), the processor configured to
generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) (¶0201; ¶0202, “the STA may request restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-delay STA from the AP”; ¶0205-¶0206; ¶0212, “the request information may be included in an existing frame and/or message. The regular STA may include request information for the restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-latency STA in the existing transmission data”; ¶0222, “the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists”; ¶0224);
wherein the transceiver is configured to transmit the first message to an associated access point (AP) (Fig. 2, 225, 230) in the BSS (Fig. 2, 200, 205; ¶0063) (Fig. 21, S2110; ¶0212, “the request information may be included in an existing frame and/or message. The regular STA may include request information for the restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-latency STA in the existing transmission data”; ¶0222, “the STA transmits request information to the AP (S2110). Here, the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223-¶0224).
Although BAEK discloses generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) (¶0201; ¶0202, “the STA may request restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-delay STA from the AP”; ¶0205-¶0206; ¶0212, “the request information may be included in an existing frame and/or message. The regular STA may include request information for the restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-latency STA in the existing transmission data”; ¶0222, “the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists”; ¶0224), BAEK does not specifically disclose generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) that are available within a range of time and have a minimum service period (SP) duration.
However, BAEK (‘455) discloses generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) that are available within a range of time and have a service period (SP) (¶0177; ¶0193, “the STA may transmit the discovery request information to the AP about the existence of an SP of a restricted TWT scheduled to be performed in the near future. If the SP exists, the discovery request information may include a request for specific scheduling information of the restricted TWT”; ¶0196, “STA transmits a message containing a discovery request to an AP. The STA may transmit data containing the discovery request information about the existence of an SP of a restricted TWT scheduled to be performed in the near future. If the SP exists, the discovery request information may include a request for specific scheduling information of the restricted TWT”; ¶0197; ¶0200; ¶0201; ¶0202). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of BAEK to include generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) that are available within a range of time and have a service period (SP), as taught by BAEK (‘455) because it would reduce channel contention, increase network capacity, and avoid collisions by allowing the station (STA) to efficiently align its sleep/wake patterns with the access point (AP) and existing traffic (BAEK (‘455); ¶0007; ¶0175; ¶0179; ¶0193; ¶0196).
CHITRAKAR, on the other hand, discloses generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) that have a minimum service period (SP) duration (¶0089, “Note that AP 242 may advertise existing TWT Broadcast agreements so that stations may request membership in existing TWT session”; ¶0109, “APs advertises existence of Priority SPs in broadcast frame (e.g. Beacon frames), and only frames belonging to the designated traffic (e.g. low latency traffic) and related frames (e.g. Trigger frame, ACKs, BlockAcks (BAs) etc.) are allowed to be transmitted in the Priority SPs”; ¶0110, “a STA can negotiate membership for one (or more) Priority SP by sending a request to the AP soliciting the membership for the Priority SP, where circuitry of the STA may be configured to generate to an AP a request signal specifying a set of parameters for the Priority SP such as minimum wake up duration, wake interval, target wake time and channel, and a receiver of the STA may then receive a response signal from the AP either accepting or rejecting the request or proposes an alternative set of parameters”; ¶0111, “a request signal specifying a set of parameters for the Priority SPs such as minimum wake up duration, wake interval, target wake time and channel, and circuitry of the STA may be configured to generate a response signal indicating an acceptance of the set of parameters. The circuitry of the STA may be further configured to determine that it is associated with the Priority SP and set up itself with the set of parameters for transmission during the Priority SP”; ¶0137; ¶0149). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of BAEK to include generate a first message that includes a request for information on existing broadcast target wake time (TWT) schedules in a basic service set (BSS) that have a minimum service period (SP) duration, as taught by CHITRAKAR because it would efficiently minimize contention among STAs within the basic service set (BSS) and reduce power save STA's awake period (CHITRAKAR; ¶0058; ¶0134).
As to claim 2, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein the request includes: an indication that the request is for information on restricted TWT schedules, an indication that the request is for information on both restricted TWT schedules and non-restricted broadcast TWT schedules, or TWT parameter criteria and an indication that the request is for information on TWT schedules that meet the TWT parameter criteria (¶0184, “a space/resource reserved in the Request Type field format of the Broadcast TWT Parameter Set field may be used to indicate whether restricted TWT is supported”).
As to claim 3, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive a second message from the AP in response to the first message, and the second message includes information on the existing broadcast TWT schedules that fulfill the request (¶0202, “In response to the request, the AP may transmit information related to the restricted TWT SP scheduled by the AP to the corresponding STA”; ¶0223, “The STA receives response information from the AP (S2120). The response information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists. Also, the response information may be transmitted through the response frame”).
As to claim 4, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 3, wherein: the processor is further configured to generate a third message that includes a request to join one of the existing broadcast TWT schedules based on the information included in the second message, and the transceiver is further configured to transmit the third message to the AP (¶0212, “the request information may be included in an existing frame and/or message. The regular STA may include request information for the restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-latency STA in the existing transmission data”; ¶0222, “the STA transmits request information to the AP (S2110). Here, the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists”; ¶0224).
As to claim 5, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 3, wherein: the processor is further configured to: determine, based on the information included in the second message, to request establishment of a new broadcast TWT schedule; and generate a third message that includes a request to establish the new broadcast TWT schedule, and the transceiver is further configured to transmit the third message to the AP (Fig. 16, ‘R’ frame: “announcement frame including restricted TWT scheduling information”; ¶0178, “The broadcast TWT is a TWT method in which a non-AP STA (TWT Scheduling STA) transmits and receives TWT request/response frames with the AP (TWT Scheduled STA) to obtain information on TBTT (Target Beacon Transmission Time) and Listen Interval”; ¶0199-¶0200; ¶0212).
As to claim 6, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to determine that there are no existing (i.e., absence) broadcast TWT schedules that fulfill the request, based on either: information in a second message received from the AP in response to the first message, or a determination that no response to the first message has been received from the AP (¶0202, “In response to the request, the AP may transmit information related to the restricted TWT SP scheduled by the AP to the corresponding STA”; ¶0222, “the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “The STA receives response information from the AP (S2120). The response information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists. Also, the response information may be transmitted through the response frame”).
As to claim 7, BAEK discloses the STA of claim 1, wherein prior to transmitting the first message to the AP: the STA has established membership in a restricted TWT schedule with the AP, or the STA has shared quality of service (QoS) characteristics with the AP or has established stream classification service (SCS) with the AP (¶0076, “The association request frame may include, for example, information related to various capabilities, a beacon listen interval…and a QoS map”; ¶0176, “The TWT defines a Service Period (SP) between an AP and a non-AP STA and shares information about the SP to reduce media contention”; ¶0177, “STA2 may inform the AP of its activated state by transmitting a QoS Null frame”).
As to claims 9-14, they are rejected for the same reasons set forth in claims 2-7 above, respectively.
As to claim 15, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth in claim 1 above. In addition, BAEK discloses an access point (AP) device (Fig. 1, 110; Fig. 2, 225-230), comprising: a transceiver (Fig. 1, 113) configured to receive a first message from a station (STA) in a basic service set (BSS) (Fig. 2, 200, 205; ¶0063) (Fig. 21, S2110; ¶0222, “the STA transmits request information to the AP (S2110). Here, the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS””); and a processor operably coupled to the transceiver (¶0045; ¶0047).
As to claims 16-17, they are rejected for the same reasons set forth in claims 2-3 above, respectively.
As to claim 18, BAEK discloses the AP of claim 17, wherein: the transceiver is further configured to receive a third message from the STA, and the processor is further configured to: determine that the third message includes a request to join one of the existing broadcast TWT schedules based on the information included in the second message, or determine that the third message includes a request to establish a new broadcast TWT schedule (¶0212, “the request information may be included in an existing frame and/or message. The regular STA may include request information for the restricted TWT scheduling information of the low-latency STA in the existing transmission data”; ¶0222, “the STA transmits request information to the AP (S2110). Here, the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists”; ¶0224).
As to claim 19, BAEK discloses the AP of claim 15, wherein: the processor is further configured to: generate a second message that includes an indication that there are no existing (i.e., absence) broadcast TWT schedules that fulfill the request; or determine, based on a determination that there are no existing (i.e., absence) broadcast TWT schedules that fulfill the request, not to respond to the first message, and the transceiver is further configured to: transmit the second message to the STA based on the second message being generated; or refrain from transmitting to the STA a response to the first message (¶0202, “In response to the request, the AP may transmit information related to the restricted TWT SP scheduled by the AP to the corresponding STA”; ¶0222, “the request information may be information requesting information related to presence and/or absence of the restricted TWT SP of the low-delay STA scheduled in the intra-BSS”; ¶0223, “The STA receives response information from the AP (S2120). The response information may indicate whether a restricted TWT SP scheduled in the intra-BSS exists. Also, the response information may be transmitted through the response frame”).
As to claim 20, it is rejected for the same reasons set forth in claim 7 above.
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.
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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/JUNGWON CHANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2454 March 24, 2026