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 .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
1. The application of Wu for the "MULTI-LINK DEVICE OF DISPATCHING PACKETS ACCORDING TO TRANSMISSION CONDITION AND LINK USAGE INFORMATION AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SAME" filed 12/01/2023 has been examined. This application claims foreign priority to 112110859, filed 03/23/2023 in Taiwan. Claims 1-20 are pending in the present application.
2. The applicant should use this period for response to thoroughly and very closely proof read and review the whole of the application for correct correlation between reference numerals in the textual portion of the Specification and Drawings along with any minor spelling errors, general typographical errors, accuracy, assurance of proper use for Trademarks TM, and other legal symbols @, where required, and clarity of meaning in the Specification, Drawings, and specifically the claims (i.e., provide proper antecedent basis for “the'' and “said'' within each
claim). Minor typographical errors could render a Patent unenforceable and so the applicant is
strongly encouraged to aid in this endeavor.
Claim Objections
3. Claims 1, 6-10 are objected to because of the following informalities: The claim recites the clause with the optional language “configured to”. In order to present the claim in a better form and to describe a positive or require steps/function to be performing (i.e. using the claim language that does not suggest or make optionally but required steps to be performed), applicant is suggested to revise the claim language such that the steps/functions, which follows “configured to”, to be performed are required (not optional).
CLAIM INTERPRETATION
4. Claim limitations "a first transmission module to perform ...", "a second transmission module to perform ...", “an analysis module to compute…”, “a multi-link control module to compute…” of claims 1-10 invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function. Claims 1-10 use a non-structural term "module" coupled with functional language "to perform", "to compute" without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the non-structural term is not preceded by a structural modifier. Since this claim limitation invokes 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, claims 1-10 are interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
Therefore, the claims are indefinite and are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
5. 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.
6. Claims 7, 17 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claims 7, 17 recites the limitation "the smallest sequence number…" on lines 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Furthermore, it’s not clear if it refers to “a first smallest sequence number”, “a second smallest sequence number” or something else. Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claims 1-20 are allowable if rewritten to overcome U.S.C. 112 as stated above.
8. The following is an examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest art of Shafin et al. (US#12,550,213) discloses an AP MLD for supporting link negotiation for enhanced multi-link multi-radio operation. Fig. 2A illustrated an AP MLD 101 includes RF transceivers 209a-209n down-convert the incoming RF signals to generate IF or baseband signals, TX/RX processing circuitry 214, 219, which generates processed baseband signals by filtering, decoding, and/or digitizing the baseband or IF signals, and the controller/processor 224 for further processing including supporting link negotiation for next generation enhanced multi-link multi-radio operation.
Kucharewski et al. (US#2025/0287444) teaches an apparatus obtains, from a first station (STA) on a first communication link associated with an access point (AP) multi-link device (MLD), a request for association all communication links of the AP MLD, and provisions either a single communication link or multiple communication links of the AP MLD for communications with the first STA based on at least one of a latency, a level of interference, or a traffic load associated with each of the communication links of the AP MLD.
Asterjadhi et al. (US#11,510,269) teaches a method for establishing a multi-link association between an access point (AP) MLD and a non-AP MLD. The multi-link association may include a first link between a first station (STA) interface of the non-AP MLD and a first basic service set (BSS) of the AP MLD and further include a second link between a second STA interface of the non-AP MLD and a second BSS of the AP MLD. The method may include sending or receiving signaling, via the first link, to activate or deactivate the second link.
Eldar et al. (US#2006/0227788) teaches managing queues of packets. Tasks are scheduled corresponding to selected processors of the plurality of processors. The stored packets are concurrently processed via the scheduled tasks.
Kabbani et al. (US#12,316,542) teaches adaptive packet routing in a source endpoint of a multi-path communication network, the packet having a hash seed for use by routers to route the packet through the multi-path communication network to a destination endpoint.
However, the prior art fails to teach a process of “compute a ratio of packet dispatch rates of the first transmission module and the second transmission module, adjust a first minimum threshold and a first maximum threshold of the first transmission module and/or a second minimum threshold and a second maximum threshold of the second transmission module according to at least the ratio of packet consumption rates if the ratio of packet consumption rates is different from the ratio of packet dispatch rates, and dispatch a packet to the first transmission module or the second transmission module according to the first minimum threshold, the first maximum threshold, the second minimum threshold, and/or the second maximum threshold” in conjunction with other limitations in independent claims 1 and 11.
Conclusion
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The Shafin et al. (US#2023/0292238) is cited to show method and apparatus for NSTR operation with multiple TWT over multiple links.
The Shafin et al. (US#2024/0260106) shows EMLSR operation for P2P communication.
The Asterjadhi et al. (US#12,414,189) shows signaling for multi-link comm. in WLAN.
The Jang et al. (US#12,058,753) shows signaling for multi-link comm. In WLAN.
The Kim et al. (US#11,917,704) shows method and apparatus for receiving important update information on APS in transmission MLD in a WLAN system.
The Li et al. (US#2025/0374178) shows method and device for non-AP MLD communication, storage medium and electronic device.
The Amir et al. (US#8,046,486) shows active client buffer management.
The Bhat et al. (US#10,771,294) shows power efficient metadata transport signaling mechanism for codec control and configuration.
10. Applicant's future amendments need to comply with the requirements of MPEP § 714.02, MPEP § 2163.04 and MPEP § 2163.06.
"with respect to newly added or amended claims, applicant should show support in the original disclosure for the new or amended claims." See MPEP § 714.02 and § 2163.06 ("Applicant should * * * specifically point out the support for any amendments made to the disclosure."); and MPEP § 2163.04 ("If applicant amends the claims and points out where and/or how the originally filed disclosure supports the amendment(s), and the examiner finds that the disclosure does not reasonably convey that the inventor had possession of the subject matter of the amendment at the time of the filing of the application, the examiner has the initial burden of presenting evidence or reasoning to explain why persons skilled in the art would not recognize in the disclosure a description of the invention defined by the claims."). See In re Smith, 458 F.2d 1389, 1395, 173 USPQ 679, 683 (CCPA 1972) In re Wertheim, 541 F.2d at 262,191 USPQ at 96 (emphasis added). "The use of a confusing variety of terms for the same thing should not be permitted.
New claims and amendments to the claims already in the application should be scrutinized not only for new matter but also for new terminology. While an applicant is not limited to the nomenclature used in the application as filed, he or she should make appropriate amendment of the specification whenever this nomenclature is departed from by amendment of the claims so as to have clear support or antecedent basis in the specification for the new terms appearing in the claims. This is necessary in order to insure certainty in construing the claims in the light of the specification." Ex parte Kotler, 1901 C.D. 62, 95 O.G. 2684 (Comm'r Pat. 1901). See 37 CFR 1.75, MPEP § 608.01 (i) and § 1302.01.
Note that examiners should ensure that the terms and phrases used in claims presented late in prosecution of the application (including claims amended via an examiner's amendment) find clear support or antecedent basis in the description so that the meaning of the terms in the claims may be ascertainable by reference to the description, see 37 CFR 1,75(d)(1 ). If the examiner determines that the claims presented late in prosecution do not comply with 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1), applicant will be required to make appropriate amendment to the description to provide clear support or antecedent basis for the terms appearing in the claims provided no new matter is introduced."
"USPTO personnel are to give claims their broadest reasonable interpretation in light of the supporting disclosure." In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054-55, 44 USPQ2d 1023,1027-28 (Fed. Cir. 1997). MPEP § 2106. "
11. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to M. Phan whose telephone number is (571) 272-3149. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri from 6:00 to 3:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Chirag Shah, can be reached on (571) 272-3144. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the receptionist whose telephone number is (571) 272-2600.
12. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have any questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at toll free 1-866-217-9197.
Mphan
02/23/2026
/MAN U PHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2477