DETAILED ACTION
Status of Case
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 claims filed on 11/13/2023.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) filed on 1/3/2025, 1/9/2025, and 5/8/2025 have been considered by Examiner.
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.
Claims 1-4, 10-13, 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seok (Mediatek, “PDT-MLO-TID-to-Link-mapping,” IEEE Draft; 11-21-0019-04-00BE-PDT-MLO-TID-TO-LINK-MAPPING, IEEE-SA MENTOR, Piscataway, NJ, USA, vol. 802.11 EHT; 802.11be, no. 4, 4 March 2021, pages 1-11, XP068179452) (cited in Applicant’s IDS filed on 1/3/2025).
Consider claims 1 and 19, Seok discloses a communication method (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: “a non-AP MLD may initiate a TID-to-link mapping negotiation by include the TID-to-Link Mapping element in the (Re)Association Request frame”: that is, the frame must be generated and sent; see also paragraphs 9.3.3.5 or 9.3.3.7, disclosing that the Association and Reassociation Request frames comprise both a TID-to-Link Mapping element; and paragraph 9.4.2.295d, disclosing the format of the TID-to-Link Mapping element), and a corresponding communication apparatus, wherein the communication apparatus comprises a processor, and the processor is coupled to a memory; and the processor is configured to execute a computer program stored in the memory (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: Examiner submits that it is inherent that a MLD device would comprise a processor and memory), to enable the communication apparatus to perform the following steps:
generating a first frame (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: “a non-AP MLD may initiate a TID-to-link mapping negotiation by include the TID-to-Link Mapping element in the (Re)Association Request frame”: that is, the frame must be generated and sent), wherein the first frame comprises a first field (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d and figure 9-788en: “TID bitmap”), the first field indicates a relationship between a first link and at least one link set (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The TID Bitmap subfield indicates a set of TIDs for which the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field provides the link mapping information. A value of 1 in bit position i of the TID Bitmap subfield means that the Link Bitmap subfield in the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field specifies the link mapping information of TID i”), the first link is any one of at least one link established between a first MLD and a second MLD, and one link set comprises one or more of the at least one link (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The Link Bitmap subfield indicates a set of links on which frames belonging to the set of TIDs specified in the TID Bitmap subfield are sent; see figure 9-788en: “Link Bitmap”: that is, the TID Bitmap indicates the TID, that is, the “set of links” for which the Link Bitmap applies, that is, the links indicated in the Link Bitmap belong to the TID indicated in the TID Bitmap; in this respect, it is noted that the claim does not further define the “link set” and a TID can be taken as being a “link set”); and
sending the first frame (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: “a non-AP MLD may initiate a TID-to-link mapping negotiation by include the TID-to-Link Mapping element in the (Re)Association Request frame”; that is, the frame must be generated and sent).
Consider claims 2, 11, and 20, Seok discloses that the first field indicates whether the first link belongs to a first link set, and the at least one link set is the first link set (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The TID Bitmap subfield indicates a set of TIDs for which the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field provides the link mapping information. A value of 1 in bit position i of the TID Bitmap subfield means that the Link Bitmap subfield in the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field specifies the link mapping information of TID i”).
Consider claims 3 and 12, Seok discloses that the first field indicates a link set to which the first link belongs (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The TID Bitmap subfield indicates a set of TIDs for which the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field provides the link mapping information. A value of 1 in bit position i of the TID Bitmap subfield means that the Link Bitmap subfield in the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field specifies the link mapping information of TID i”).
Consider claims 4 and 13, Seok discloses that the first field is a bitmap (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: TID bitmap).
Consider claim 10, Seok discloses a communication method (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: “a non-AP MLD may initiate a TID-to-link mapping negotiation by include the TID-to-Link Mapping element in the (Re)Association Request frame”: that is, the frame must be generated and sent; see also paragraphs 9.3.3.5 or 9.3.3.7, disclosing that the Association and Reassociation Request frames comprise both a TID-to-Link Mapping element; and paragraph 9.4.2.295d, disclosing the format of the TID-to-Link Mapping element), comprising:
receiving, by a second multi-link device (MLD), a first frame (see paragraph 35.3.6.1.3: “a non-AP MLD may initiate a TID-to-link mapping negotiation by include the TID-to-Link Mapping element in the (Re)Association Request frame”; that is, the frame must be generated and sent and thereby received), wherein the first frame comprises a first field (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d and figure 9-788en: “TID bitmap”), the first field indicates a relationship between a first link and at least one link set (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The TID Bitmap subfield indicates a set of TIDs for which the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field provides the link mapping information. A value of 1 in bit position i of the TID Bitmap subfield means that the Link Bitmap subfield in the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field specifies the link mapping information of TID i”), the first link is any one of at least one link established between a first MLD and the second MLD, and one link set comprises one or more of the at least one link (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The Link Bitmap subfield indicates a set of links on which frames belonging to the set of TIDs specified in the TID Bitmap subfield are sent; see figure 9-788en: “Link Bitmap”: that is, the TID Bitmap indicates the TID, that is, the “set of links” for which the Link Bitmap applies, that is, the links indicated in the Link Bitmap belong to the TID indicated in the TID Bitmap; in this respect, it is noted that the claim does not further define the “link set” and a TID can be taken as being a “link set”); and
obtaining a relationship between the first link and the at least one link set based on the first frame (see paragraph 9.4.2.295d: “The TID Bitmap subfield indicates a set of TIDs for which the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field provides the link mapping information. A value of 1 in bit position i of the TID Bitmap subfield means that the Link Bitmap subfield in the TID-to-Link Mapping Info field specifies the link mapping information of TID i”).
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.
Claims 5 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok (Mediatek, “PDT-MLO-TID-to-Link-mapping,” IEEE Draft; 11-21-0019-04-00BE-PDT-MLO-TID-TO-LINK-MAPPING, IEEE-SA MENTOR, Piscataway, NJ, USA, vol. 802.11 EHT; 802.11be, no. 4, 4 March 2021, pages 1-11, XP068179452) (cited in Applicant’s IDS filed on 1/3/2025) in view of Park (USPAN 2021/0100053).
Consider claims 5 and 14, Seok does not specifically disclose that the first frame further comprises a second field, and the second field indicates whether the first field exists.
Park discloses that the first frame further comprises a second field, and the second field indicates whether the first field exists (see paragraph 94: set a more data field to 0 or 1 indicating whether there are more data frames to be sent, thereby indicating whether a first field exists or not).
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 invention of Seok and combine it with the noted teachings of Park. The motivation to combine these references is to provide a method for multi-link power save indication (see paragraph 1 of Park).
Claims 6-9 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seok (Mediatek, “PDT-MLO-TID-to-Link-mapping,” IEEE Draft; 11-21-0019-04-00BE-PDT-MLO-TID-TO-LINK-MAPPING, IEEE-SA MENTOR, Piscataway, NJ, USA, vol. 802.11 EHT; 802.11be, no. 4, 4 March 2021, pages 1-11, XP068179452) (cited in Applicant’s IDS filed on 1/3/2025) in view of Park (USPAN 2021/0100053) and Kim (USPAN 2021/0259033).
Consider claims 6 and 15, although Seok in view of Park disclose the second field (see above), Seok and Park do not specifically disclose the second field is carried in a Per-STA Profile field that is configured for each station and that is of a multi-link element Multi-Link element.
Kim discloses a second field that is carried in a Per-STA Profile field that is configured for each station and that is of a multi-link element Multi-Link element (see paragraph 300: a per-STA profile control field in a multi-link system).
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 invention of Seok and combine it with the noted teachings of Kim. The motivation to combine these references is to provide a method for transmitting information related to a link in a multi-link communication (see paragraph 2 of Kim).
Consider claims 7 and 16, although Seok in view of Park disclose the first frame (see above), Seok and Park do not specifically disclose an additional field, and the additional field indicates a number of the at least one link set.
Kim discloses an additional field, and the additional field indicates a number of the at least one link set (see paragraph 300: a per-STA control may may include at least one of a link ID, i.e. a number of the at least one link set).
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 invention of Seok and combine it with the noted teachings of Kim. The motivation to combine these references is to provide a method for transmitting information related to a link in a multi-link communication (see paragraph 2 of Kim).
Consider claims 8 and 17, although Seok in view of Park disclose the first frame (see above), Seok and Park do not specifically disclose the additional field is carried in a common information field of a multi-link element.
Kim discloses the additional field is carried in a common information field of a multi-link element (see paragraph 140: a common information field).
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 invention of Seok and combine it with the noted teachings of Kim. The motivation to combine these references is to provide a method for transmitting information related to a link in a multi-link communication (see paragraph 2 of Kim).
Consider claims 9 and 18, although Seok in view of Park disclose the second field (see above), Seok and Park do not specifically disclose the second field is carried in a Per-STA Profile field that is configured for each station and that is of a multi-link element Multi-Link element.
Kim discloses a second field that is carried in a Per-STA Profile field that is configured for each station and that is of a multi-link element Multi-Link element (see paragraph 300: a per-STA profile control field in a multi-link system).
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 invention of Seok and combine it with the noted teachings of Kim. The motivation to combine these references is to provide a method for transmitting information related to a link in a multi-link communication (see paragraph 2 of Kim).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jamal Javaid whose telephone number is 571-270-5137 and email address is Jamal.Javaid@uspto.gov.
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/JAMAL JAVAID/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2412