Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
2. Claims 10 and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities: For dependent claim 10, the number of the claim is wrong and it has to be numbered as ‘10’ (and not ‘8’) and the dependency of the claim has to be of claim 8 (not of claim 7).
For dependent claim 17, the number of the claim is wrong and it has to be numbered as ‘17’ (and not ‘14’) and the dependency of the claim has to be of claim 15 (not of claim 13).
Also, for both dependent claims 10 & 17, the words ‘wherein the scanning schedule is configured’ need to be changed into the words ‘wherein the scanning sequence’ (similar to dependent claim 3). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
5. Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Edar et al. (US Pub. No: 2023/0199587 A1) in view of HOMCHAUDHURI et al. (US Pub. No: 2023/0319691 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Edar et al. teach a mobile computing device (see Abstract and Fig.1/Fig.2, device 104) comprising: a wireless communications interface configured to connect to a network deployed by a plurality of base stations (see Fig.2, block 208 for wireless communications interface and Fig.1 & para [0018] wherein the communications interface 208 including a controller 212, and one or more antennas, transmitters, receivers, or the like (not shown), to allow the device 104 to communicate with other computing devices such as the device 112 via the link 116, is mentioned and also see para [0021] wherein the controller 212 controls the communications interface 208 to initiate a scan for foreign access points 124/plurality of base stations, is mentioned);
a controller for the wireless communications interface, the controller configured to: detect a scan condition to scan a foreign channel while connected to a home base station on a home channel (see Fig.2, block 212 for controller and see para [0021] wherein the controller 212 controls the communications interface 208 to initiate a scan for foreign access points 124/plurality of base stations in response to the signal strength between the device 104 and the home access point 120/ home base station dropping below a threshold level, is mentioned and also see para [0015] wherein to roam to a foreign access point 124 from the home access point 120, the device 104 may periodically scan for foreign access points 124 to which it may connect, is mentioned);
and during each intermediate home channel dwell period, return to the home channel to receive data packets buffered at the home base station during a preceding portion of a predefined scan interval (see para [0015] wherein to maintain data transmissions, the home access point 120 may buffer data packets to be sent to the device 104 & upon completion of the scan, the device 104 returning to the home access point 120 for a predetermined amount of time, known as the home channel dwell time and during the home channel dwell time, the device 104 receiving the buffered data packets and any new incoming data packets received during that time, is mentioned and also see para [0022]).
Edar et al. is silent in teaching the above mobile computing device comprising the controller configured to implement a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval.
However, HOMCHAUDHURI et al. teach a mobile computing device (see Abstract and Fig.4) comprising the controller configured to implement a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel (see para [0031] wherein the wireless communication device may include an interface and a processing system and the interface being configured to obtain an off-channel scan time for passive scanning operations (that includes plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval) on one or more second wireless channels/foreign channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations including alternating between dwelling on the first wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second wireless channel for the off-channel scan time, is mentioned) and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval (see para [0031] wherein the interface of the device being configured to obtain a home channel dwell time for a first wireless channel/home channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein the wireless communication device may alternate between the dwelling and the listening during the first passive scanning operation by dwelling on the first wireless channel for a first time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a second time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, dwelling on the first wireless channel for a third time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a fourth time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, is mentioned, all of which clearly includes and is equivalent to having “ an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above device of Edar et al. to have the controller being configured to implement a scanning sequence including (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval, disclosed by HOMCHAUDHURI et al. in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently configuring an off-channel scan time and a passive scanning period for passive scanning operations based on latency requirements of a low-latency applications such as real-time gaming applications, video communications and augmented reality (AR) applications in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 8, Edar et al. teach a method (see Abstract and Fig.1/Fig.2, device 104) comprising: detecting a scan condition to scan a foreign channel while connected to a home base station on a home channel (see para [0021] wherein the controller 212 controls the communications interface 208 to initiate a scan for foreign access points 124/plurality of base stations in response to the signal strength between the device 104 and the home access point 120/ home base station dropping below a threshold level, is mentioned and also see para [0015] wherein to roam to a foreign access point 124 from the home access point 120, the device 104 may periodically scan for foreign access points 124 to which it may connect, is mentioned) and during each intermediate home channel dwell period, returning to the home channel to receive data packets buffered at the home base station during a preceding portion of a predefined scan interval (see para [0015] wherein to maintain data transmissions, the home access point 120 may buffer data packets to be sent to the device 104 & upon completion of the scan, the device 104 returning to the home access point 120 for a predetermined amount of time, known as the home channel dwell time and during the home channel dwell time, the device 104 receiving the buffered data packets and any new incoming data packets received during that time, is mentioned and also see para [0022]).
Edar et al. is silent in teaching the above method comprising implementing a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval.
However, HOMCHAUDHURI et al. teach a method comprising implementing a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel (see para [0031] wherein the wireless communication device may include an interface and a processing system and the interface being configured to obtain an off-channel scan time for passive scanning operations (that includes plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval) on one or more second wireless channels/foreign channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations including alternating between dwelling on the first wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second wireless channel for the off-channel scan time, is mentioned) and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval (see para [0031] wherein the interface of the device being configured to obtain a home channel dwell time for a first wireless channel/home channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein the wireless communication device may alternate between the dwelling and the listening during the first passive scanning operation by dwelling on the first wireless channel for a first time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a second time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, dwelling on the first wireless channel for a third time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a fourth time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, is mentioned, all of which clearly includes and is equivalent to having “ an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above method of Edar et al. to include implementing a scanning sequence including a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval, disclosed by HOMCHAUDHURI et al. in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently configuring an off-channel scan time and a passive scanning period for passive scanning operations based on latency requirements of a low-latency applications such as real-time gaming applications, video communications and augmented reality (AR) applications in wireless communication system.
Regarding claim 15, Edar et al. teach a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which when executed, configure a controller of device (see Abstract and Fig.1/Fig.2, device 104 and para [0017]) to: detect a scan condition to scan a foreign channel while connected to a home base station on a home channel (see Fig.2, block 212 for controller of device and see para [0021] wherein the controller 212 controls the communications interface 208 to initiate a scan for foreign access points 124/plurality of base stations in response to the signal strength between the device 104 and the home access point 120/ home base station dropping below a threshold level, is mentioned and also see para [0015] wherein to roam to a foreign access point 124 from the home access point 120, the device 104 may periodically scan for foreign access points 124 to which it may connect, is mentioned) and during each intermediate home channel dwell period, return to the home channel to receive data packets buffered at the home base station during a preceding portion of a predefined scan interval (see para [0015] wherein to maintain data transmissions, the home access point 120 may buffer data packets to be sent to the device 104 & upon completion of the scan, the device 104 returning to the home access point 120 for a predetermined amount of time, known as the home channel dwell time and during the home channel dwell time, the device 104 receiving the buffered data packets and any new incoming data packets received during that time, is mentioned and also see para [0022]).
Edar et al. is silent in teaching the above medium comprising implementing a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval.
However, HOMCHAUDHURI et al. teach a system (see Abstract and Fig.4) comprising implementing a scanning sequence including: (a) a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel (see para [0031] wherein the wireless communication device may include an interface and a processing system and the interface being configured to obtain an off-channel scan time for passive scanning operations (that includes plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval) on one or more second wireless channels/foreign channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations including alternating between dwelling on the first wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second wireless channel for the off-channel scan time, is mentioned) and (b) an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval (see para [0031] wherein the interface of the device being configured to obtain a home channel dwell time for a first wireless channel/home channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein the wireless communication device may alternate between the dwelling and the listening during the first passive scanning operation by dwelling on the first wireless channel for a first time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a second time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, dwelling on the first wireless channel for a third time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second wireless channel/foreign channel for a fourth time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, is mentioned, all of which clearly includes and is equivalent to having “ an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the above medium of Edar et al. to include implementing a scanning sequence including a plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval for scanning the foreign channel and an intermediate home channel dwell period scheduled between each of the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval, disclosed by HOMCHAUDHURI et al. in order to provide an effective mechanism of a wireless device for efficiently configuring an off-channel scan time and a passive scanning period for passive scanning operations based on latency requirements of a low-latency applications such as real-time gaming applications, video communications and augmented reality (AR) applications in wireless communication system.
Regarding claims 2, 9 and 16, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, respectively.
HOMCHAUDHURI et al. further teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, wherein the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval span the predefined scan interval (see para [0031] wherein the interface of the wireless communication device being configured to obtain an off-channel scan time for passive scanning operations (that includes plurality of portions of a predefined scan interval) on one or more second wireless channels/foreign channel, is mentioned and also see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations including alternating between dwelling on the first wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second wireless channel for the off-channel scan time, is mentioned, which includes and is equivalent to having “the plurality of portions of the predefined scan interval span the predefined scan interval”) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claims1/8/15).
Regarding claims 3, 10 and 17, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, respectively.
HOMCHAUDHURI et al. further teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, wherein the scanning sequence is configured to span multiple iterations of the scan interval (see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations (that includes multiple iterations of the scan interval) including alternating between dwelling on the first wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second wireless channel for the off-channel scan time) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claims1/8/15).
Regarding claims 4, 11 and 18, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, respectively.
HOMCHAUDHURI et al. further teach the mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the scan condition comprises detecting that the device is configured to perform a passive scan for the foreign channel/wherein detecting the scan condition comprises detecting that a passive scan is to be performed on the foreign channel (see para [0032] wherein the wireless communication device may alternate between the dwelling and the listening during the first passive scanning operation by dwelling on the first/home wireless channel for a first time period indicated by the home channel dwell time, passively scanning the respective second/foreign wireless channel for a second time period indicated by the off-channel scan time, is mentioned and also see para [0034]) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claims1/8/15).
Regarding claims 5, 12 and 19, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 4/11/18, respectively.
HOMCHAUDHURI et al. further teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 4/11/18, wherein the predefined scan interval is a beacon interval at which a beacon signal is emitted on the foreign channel (see para [0032] wherein each of the first passive scanning operations may include alternating between dwelling on the first/home wireless channel for the home channel dwell time and listening for beacon frames on a respective second/foreign wireless channel for the off-channel scan time, is mentioned and also see para [0034] wherein the scanning period of the first and second passive scanning operations being based on a beacon interval of an access point operating on a respective second/foreign wireless channel, is mentioned).
Regarding claims 6, 13 and 20, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, respectively.
Edar et al. further teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, wherein the controller is configured to/further comprising/wherein the instructions further configure the controller to return/returning to the home channel for a home channel dwell time to receive data packets buffered at the home base station after completion of the scanning schedule (see para [0015] wherein upon completion of the scan, the device 104 returning to the home access point 120 for a predetermined amount of time, known as the home channel dwell time and during the home channel dwell time, the device 104 receiving the buffered data packets and any new incoming data packets received during that time, is mentioned and also see para [0023]).
Regarding claims 7, 14 and 21, Edar et al. and HOMCHAUDHURI et al. together teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, respectively.
HOMCHAUDHURI et al. further teach the mobile computing device/method/non-transitory machine-readable medium of claims 1/8/15, wherein the controller is configured to, after each scan period/further comprising: determine/determining whether a foreign access point corresponding to the foreign channel is identified; and when the foreign access point is identified, terminate/terminating the scanning schedule (see para [0117] wherein the passive scanning allowing the STA to receive beacon frame BF3 from AP3 at time t.sub.2, to receive beacon frame BF4 from AP4 at time t.sub.3 and to receive beacon frame BF2 from AP2 at time t.sub.4 (that includes determining a foreign access point corresponding to the foreign channel is identified) and terminating the passive scanning operation scanning schedule, is mentioned) (and the same motivation is maintained as in claims1/8/15).
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KHARIA et al. (US Pub. No: 2018/0103471 A1) disclose mechanisms relating to communication systems and more particularly, to dynamic frequency selection (DFS).
Abouelseoud et al. (US Pub. No: 2019/0053133 A1) disclose mechanisms relating to multiple-hop relayed directional wireless communication which perform mesh assisted node (station) discovery in wireless communication system.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SRINIVASA R REDDIVALAM whose telephone number is (571)270-3524. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-7 EST.
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/SRINIVASA R REDDIVALAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477 2/4/2026